The decomposition of C4H8 complexes at controlled internal energies

A coincidence technique is used to study the influence of the internal energy of the reactant ion on the cross section of the ion-molecule reactions in the C₂H₄⁺ + C₂H₄ system. The experiment is performed at thermal collision energies. In the ion-molecule reactions of C₂H₄⁺ + C₂H₄ our measurements indicate a barrier between the initially formed collision complex (C₂H₄)₂⁺* and a tight complex (C₄H₈⁺)*. Using an extension of our earlier developed statistical model, now including a potential barrier between the initially formed loose complex (C₂H₄)₂⁺* and the tight complex (C₄H₈⁺)*, our experimental data can be reproduced. For comparison also the internal energy dependence of the unimolecular decomposition of photoionised 1-C₄H₈⁺ is measured. Assuming that the photoionised 1-C₄H₈⁺ is identical with the tight (C₄H₈⁺)* complex, the model applied to the ion-molecule reactions describes also the unimolecular decay of 1-C₄H₈⁺ correctly, using the same set of parameters.