2.1. Attachment of free electrons

In our earlier experimental studies we have shown that dissociative attachment of free low-energy electrons to Na2 molecules in the electronic ground state depends not only on the electron energy, but also drastically on the vibrational excitation of the molecule [1]. This behaviour could be theoretically well described by the transient formation of an electronically excited  ion Na2- * (called also ? resonance) in the repulsive A 2Sg+state with vibrational level dependent coupling to the Na2 ground electronic X 1Sg+ state.This transient ion either decays through the emission of the electron, possibly leaving the neutral molecule in a vibrationally excited state v*, or dissociates into Na- and Na fragments:

 

Na2 (X 1Sg+ ,v??)  + e 

Na2-*(A 2Sg+

Na2 (X 1Sg+ ,v*)  + e

(1a )

Na - + Na

(1b )

 

 

The branching ratio of both channels is strongly dependent on the vibrational level v" excited in Na2 before the collision.

 

 

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