Vibrational excitation of H2+in electron capture collisions of Xe2+and Ar3+with H2

With the aid of translational spectroscopy the authors studied the electron capture of Xe2+ and Ar3+ projectiles in molecular hydrogen at low energies (Ecm=6 and 29 eV). The measurements yield information on the vibrational excitation of the molecular target ion H2+, showing the dominant population of the levels nu '=1-4. The results are discussed in terms of the energy defect Delta E and the Franck-Condon factors Cvv'.