Dissociative-electron-attachment cross sections: a comparative study of NO₂ and O₃

Abstract

Absolute cross sections for dissociative electron attachment (DEA) to NO₂ have been measured and compared with that of O₃. A striking similarity is observed in the dissociation channels and the relative cross sections between the two molecules. This similarity is interpreted in terms of a common mechanism for electron capture to the two molecules and is exploited to characterize the nature of the NO₂ resonances in analogy with O₃, using specific quantum chemical calculations as well as experimental data. This experimental observation and its interpretation seeks to direct attention to a previously uncommented on aspect of the DEA phenomenon in relation to molecules that are isoelectronically unrelated. The observation also tends to highlight the dominance of electronic polarizability in the electron-molecule scattering potential leading to capture.