Translational energy distributions of excited CH+ ions produced by electron impact on methane

Fragment ion-photon coincidence (FIPCO) spectra by controlled electron impa ct on methane have been observed. To identify the observed ions correlating with photons and to estimate their translational energy distributions, Mon te Carlo calculations have been carried out. These results indicated that t he CH+ ion correlates with its own A-X and (3)Sigma-(3) Pi emissions in the FIPCO spectra. The translational energy of CH+ (A) was 0.20 eV, whereas th at of CH+ ((3)Sigma) was described by a Boltzmann distribution of 1000 K.