Electron impact dissociation of CO ₂

Abstract

Abstract Several CO 2 electron impact dissociation cross sections are available in the literature, different in magnitude and threshold, hindering the understanding of CO 2 dissociation mechanisms under gas discharges. This work reports the experimental validation of the electron impact CO 2 dissociation cross section using two complementary methods: through the comparison of the measured rate coefficients with those derived from cross sections available in literature; and through the comparison of the experimental time evolution of the dissociation fraction with the simulations of a 0D model. A careful experimental approach was designed to avoid any influence from other dissociation mechanisms or chemical reactions. The experimental results match remarkably well the theoretical predictions from Polak and Slovetsky and establish the validity of the dissociation rate coefficients derived from their cross section. This validation supports the use of Polak and Slovetsky’s cross section in any theoretical or modelling approach involving CO 2 molecules under electrical discharges.