Low energy scattering of 6Li+ from H2O

Collisions of 6Li+ with H2O at laboratory energies of 10.0 and 17.5 eV have been studied. Energy distributions for the scattered ions at laboratory angles to 20° were measured. From the distributions, contour plots of intensity per unit velocity space were constructed. The plots show inelastic collisions to occur with high probabilities. The degree of inelasticity increases with increasing scattering angle and varies from a few tenths of an eV to a few eV. Differential cross sections summed over the elastic channel as well as all inelastic channels were also calculated from the experimental data. They are compared with theoretical cross sections based on the ab initio potential surface of Clementi and Popkie. Good agreement is found.