Guided-ion beam investigations of the reactions CO++N-2 and N-2(+)+CO

We have investigated seven different reaction channels for each of the two symmetric charge-state reactants CO+N2 and N-2(+)+CO. For all the 14 reacti ons we have measured the integral cross sections as a function of relative energy and determined the corresponding reaction enthalpies. We make use of these values to find the heats of formation of NCO, NCO+, CNN, and CNN+. S imilar branching ratios are observed for both charge-state reactions. This gives some hints that all reactions proceed through the same intermediate N 2CO+. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-9606(00)00534-1].