COLLISION SPECTROSCOPY WITH ALIGNED AND ORIENTED ATOMS .7. INITIAL ORBITAL ALIGNMENT EFFECTS IN H-2(-NA(3P) RESONANT CHARGE-TRANSFER())

The role of Na(3p) initial orbital alignment in charge transfer reacti ons induced in H-2+-Na(3p) collisions is studied in the keV energy ran ge. A strong alignment effect is observed similarly to what was found for H+-Na(3p) quasi-resonant electron capture. The sigma(sigma)/sigma3 s and sigma(pi)/sigma3s relative total cross sections for electron cap ture from an initial state of sigma or pi molecular symmetry of the H- 2+-Na(3p) collision system are measured. A simple theoretical descript ion of this polarization effect is attempted in the frame of the asymp totic theory for charge transfer and the predictions obtained for the H-2+-Na(3p) and H+-Na(3p) interactions are compared and discussed.