Dissociative Electron Attachment to Polyatomic Molecules - IV : Methane

TL;DR

This study investigates the dissociative electron attachment process in methane, analyzing fragment ion distributions and suggesting the influence of Jahn-Teller effects on molecular excitation.

Contribution

It provides detailed kinetic and angular distribution data for fragment ions in methane and explores the potential role of Jahn-Teller effects in the process.

Findings

H^{-} ion angular distribution shifts from perpendicular to forward-backward scattering across the resonance

Kinetic energy distributions of fragment ions are characterized

Evidence suggests Jahn-Teller effect influences molecular excitation

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss the dissociative electron attachment process in Methane. Kinetic energy and angular distributions of H^{-} and CH_{2}^{-} fragment anions across the broad resonance about 10 eV is reported. Angular distribution of H^{-} ions changes from being perpendicular to forward-backward scattering across the resonance. Possibility of Jahn-Teller effect on excitation of the triply degenerate 1t2 molecular orbital is inferred.