Electron attachment to nitric oxide (NO) controversy

TL;DR

This study provides new, highly accurate electron scattering cross sections for nitric oxide, resolving a long-standing controversy about dissociative electron attachment by identifying key resonance features.

Contribution

It reports novel, precise total electron scattering cross sections for NO and clarifies the DEA cross-section controversy with new resonance data.

Findings

Identified nine electron attachment resonances in NO.

Resolved the 50-year-old controversy on DEA cross-section.

Provided data with 5% accuracy across 1-15 eV energy range.

Abstract

We report novel total electron scattering cross sections (TCS) from nitric oxide (NO) in the impact energy range from 1 to 15 eV by using a magnetically confined electron transmission apparatus. The accuracy of the data to within 5% and its consistency across the energy range investigated, shows significant discrepancies from previous works as to the major resonance features and magnitude of the TCS. Within the shape of the TCS, we have identified nine features which have been assigned to electron attachment resonances, most of them reported for the first time, while a comprehensive analysis of those peaking at 7.0, 7.8, and 8.8 eV has led to solve the controversy about dissociative electron attachment (DEA) cross-section that persisted for more than 50 years.