Evidence for an influence of rotational energy on the rate constants for the reaction of Ar+(2P3/2) with N2

Rate constants for the charge transfer reaction of Ar+(2P3/2) with N2 were measured as a function of average center-of-mass kinetic energy (〈KEcm〉) at three temperatures. The rate constants increase rapidly with (〈KEcm〉) at all temperatures. The thermal activation energy is derived to be 0.07 eV, which is approximately the value of the endothermicity of the reaction when N+2 (v=1) is produced. The rate constants vary with temperature at a particular 〈KEcm〉, indicating either an effect due to differing energy distributions in the drift tube at different temperatures or that the reactivity depends on the rotational temperature of N2. Comparing the data at constant average total energy indicates that translational and rotational energy have a similar effect on the reactivity.