Charge Transfer and the Mobility of H^-Ions in Atomic Hydrogen

Abstract

The energies of interaction of H- and H are calculated over a wide range of nuclear separations using molecular wave functions based upon various forms of atomic orbitals and these energies used for the calculation of the charge transfer and diffusion cross sections of H- ions in atomic hydrogen by the perturbed stationary state method. The charge transfer cross sections decrease from 2 × 10-14 cm2 at an impact energy of 1 eV to 0.3 × 10-14 cm2 at 1000 eV and the diffusion cross sections lead to values of the mobility of H- ions in atomic hydrogen decreasing from 3.5 cm2 volt-1 sec-1 at 100°K to 1.8 cm2 volt-1 sec-1 at 600°K.