Imaging the Collision Energy-Dependent Charge-Transfer Dynamics between the Spin-Orbit Ground Ar(P) Ion and CO.

The collisional charge-transfer reaction between Ar(P) and CO represents one of the most studied ion-molecule systems; many controversies persist among different studies, and the detailed quantum state-to-state charge-transfer dynamics remains unknown. Here, differential cross sections of the charge-transfer process between the spin-orbit ground Ar(P) ion and CO are reported at three center-of-mass collision energies of 1.02, 0.72, and 0.40 eV using a home-built three-dimensional velocity-map imaging-based ion-molecule crossed beam setup. At all three collision energies, the direct energy resonant charge-transfer mechanism dominates the reaction, featuring predominantly forward scattering with the CO product population peaking at the ' = 6 and ' = 7 vibrational levels. Only at the lowest collision energy of 0.40 eV is the significant backward peaked scattering product observed, with CO populated from ' = 4 to ' = 8. There is no obvious evidence for the formation of CO in excited electronic state AΠ, in qualitative accord with previous theoretical predictions.