Rate constant measurement for the reaction of D3+ with H2

The rate constant and the product distribution for the reaction of D3+ with H2 has been measured as a function of the D3+ vibrational energy. In these experiments a mass analyzed beam of D3 ions is decelerated to less than 0.1 eV and is subsequently injected into an ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) cell where reaction with H2 may occur. Ion detection is achieved using a conventional oscillator-detector. The number of D3+-D2 collisions was varied from 0 to 10 by changing the D2 pressure in the source of the first stage of the instrument. (Auth.)