Search for a possible isotope effect in charge-changing collisions involving hydrogen and deuterium

Abstract

Charge equilibrium fractions F1 infinity, F0 infinity and F1 infinity and relative charge-changing cross sections σ10 and σ01 were measured for the four possible combinations among hydrogen and deuterium beams and targets, namely H+-D2, H+-H2, D+-D2 and D+-H2. Within experimental errors of less than 0·3% for F0 infinity, 1·2% for F1 infinity and 2% for both F1 infinity and the relative cross sections, no systematic differences for these isotope combinations were found in the velocity range 1·38 × 108 to 2·24 × 108 cm s-1. Neglecting the small negative charge fraction, the ratio σ10/σ01, given by F0 infinity/F1 infinity, agrees to within 1·5% for the different combinations studied.