Dissociative-electron-attachment cross sections: A comparative study of NO2 and O3

Abstract

Absolute cross sections for dissociative electron attachment (DEA) to NO2 have been measured and compared with that of O3. A striking similarity is observed in the dissociation channels and the relative cross sections between the two molecules. This similarity is interpreted in terms of a common mechanism for electron capture to the two molecules and is exploited to characterize the nature of the NO2 resonances in analogy with O3, using specific quantum chemical calculations as well as experimental data. This experimental observation and its interpretation seeks to direct attention to a previously uncommented on aspect of the DEA phenomenon in relation to molecules that are isoelectronically unrelated. The observation also tends to highlight the dominance of electronic polarizability in the electron-molecule scattering potential leading to capture.