Collisional detachment of electron in sulphur hexafluoride

Abstract

The collisional detachment of electrons from SF6- in gaseous F6 was measured with a double-chamber current growth technique. Mass spectrometer sampling of the negative ions enabled the in-molecule reactions to be identified. Thus the conversions SF6- to SF5-, SF5- to F- and F- to SF6- were found to be important. At E/N of about 400 Td, the detachment coefficient was determined as about 5*10-17 cm2.