KINETIC-ENERGY RELEASE AND INTERCHARGE DISTANCE OF THE PROTONITRONIUMDICATION (HONO2+)

The usefulness of the determination of kinetic energy release (KER) di stributions instead of single KER values is not widely known, though t he KER distributions provide more detailed and accurate information ab out the studied process. To confirm this fact the KER distribution has been determined from the peak shape of the metastable peak correspond ing to the charge separation reaction HONO2+ --> H+ NO2+ which was pub lished recently (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 115 (1993) 6312-6316). The most pro bable KER value yields an intercharge distance of 3.3 Angstrom, in ver y good agreement with the previous theoretical estimate of 3.0 Angstro m. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.