ON THE BINDING OF ELECTRONS TO CS2 - POSSIBLE ROLE OF QUADRUPOLE-BOUND STATES

Rydberg atoms are known to charge exchange with CS2 resulting in forma tion of CS2- ions that undergo rapid electric-field-induced detachment in applied fields greater than or similar to 1 kV cm(-1). Here we exa mine a possible explanation for these observations based on the format ion of ions in which the electron is weakly bound by the quadrupole mo ment (Q(20)=+3.3 au) of the neutral molecule. Theoretical calculations and further analysis of available experimental data suggest that such a mechanism might indeed account for the earlier observations. This i s further supported to the observation that charge exchange does not o ccur in Rydberg atom collisions with COS (Q(20)=-0.2 au).