Modeling of the N-2(+) ion in cold helium plasma: dynamics of N-2(+)/He collisions and cross-sections

Abstract

A detailed dynamical study is presented for N-2(+)/He collisions running in the electronic ground state of the collision complex. Hybrid, quantum-classical dynamical calculations have been performed considering a broad range of collision energies (E-coll = 0.01-100 eV) and various initial rotational-vibrational excitations of the N-2(+) ion. Both non-reactive and reactive (N-2(+) collision-induced dissociation) cross-sections have been calculated with the momentum-transfer approximation applied to the former ones. A thorough comparison with pseudo-experimental data obtained from mobility measurements reported in the literature via an inverse-method approach has been performed and the effect of the rotational alignment of the N-2(+) ion on calculated cross-sections has been assessed and analyzed.