Five different ion sources were investigated to find one which produced currents of de-excited H 3 + ions which are adequate for crossed beam experiments. An inclined beam technique was then used to measure absolute cross sections for energies between 15 and 22 eV, for the formation of protons by collisions between electrons and H 3 + . From the shape of the excitation function it was established that the H 3 + ions had negligible internal energy and that they had two electronically-excited states with energies 15 and 19.2 eV above the lowest vibrational ground state. These energies are in satisfactory agreement with Kawaoka and Borkman's (1971) calculations of the energies of the 3 E' and 1 E' states of equilateral H 3 + .
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Peart et al. (1974) studied this question.