Electronic and vibrational excitation in K-N₂ collisions

The dynamics of alkali atom/nitrogen molecule collisions have been probed by the measurement of relative differential cross sections for a range of electronic and vibrational exit channels. The measurements were made over a range of collision energy from 40 to HOeV cm. and cover reduced scattering angles from 30-400 eV°, all the measurements being made in the small angle regime.The observations are interpreted on the basis of a simple model and are shown to be compatible with the existence of a substantially ionic doorway state in the collision.