Direct vibrational excitation of ions and molecules via charge exchange in N+2–N2, O+2–O2, CO+–CO, and NO+–NO collisions

Differential and integral cross sections for direct vibrational excitation in symmetric N+2(X 2Σ+g, υ′0) –N2(X 1Σ+g, υ″0), O+2(X 2Πg, υ′0) –O2(X 3Σ−g, υ″0), CO(X 2Σ+, υ′0) –CO(X 1Σ+, υ″0) and NO+(X 1Σ+, υ′0) –NO(X 2Πr, υ″0) collisions have been determined for ions with 0.004 to 2.2 keV kinetic energies. Inelastic channels in the individual symmetric ion–molecule systems are strongly coupled to each other and to the energy resonant charge exchange channels. Differential cross sections for excitation of individual inelastic product channels have been computed as a function of scattering angle using a multistate impact parameter description of the collision. Small angle scattering dominates and becomes more concentrated in the forward direction with increasing ion kinetic energy. Multistate integral cross sections for individual channels and integral cross sections summed over all product channels are presented as a function of both ion kinetic energy and reactant ion vibrational state.