Low energy electron attachment to buckminsterfullerene in Rydberg atom-buckminsterfullerene collisions
[摘要] $Csb{60}sp-$ ion formation has been observed in collisions between K(np) Rydberg atoms with principal quantum numbers $m35leq nleq125,$ which corresponds to electrons with mean energies in the range $sim$2 meV to $sim$170 $mu$eV, and $Csb{60}$ molecules. This results from Rydberg electron transfer and has permitted study of the low energy electron attachment properties of Buckminsterfullerene, which is known to capture free electrons with energies up to $sim$12 eV. Present data agree with a previous Rydberg atom study but disagree with theoretical predictions and also with previous free electron-$Csb{60}$ studies. Results from both theory and the free electron experiments suggest that a potential barrier of $sim$240 meV exists for electron capture by $Csb{60},$ preventing electron capture at very low energies. The present data are compared with previous experiments and with theory, and possible explanations for the observed discrepancy, including evidence for an image-charge-bound state of $Csb{60},$ are discussed.
[发布日期] [发布机构] Rice University
[效力级别] physics [学科分类]
[关键词] [时效性]