Velocity dependence of the chemi-ionization of H2O and D2O on impact of 21S and 23S helium atoms

The velocity dependence for the ionization of H₂O and D₂O to form H₂O⁺ and D₂O⁺ in collisions with both 2³S and 2¹S metastable helium atoms has been measured in a crossed molecular beam apparatus using a mechanical velocity-selector on the metastable beam. The cross-sections are found to be proportional to the —n power of the relative collision energy, with n ? 0.4 for both metastable atoms in both gases. The branching ratios H₂O⁺/OH⁺ and D₂O⁺/OD⁺ were both found to be 4.3 for both metastable helium atoms, and to be independent of the relative collision energy.