Semi-classical Landau–Zener studies of mutual neutralization reactions in low-energy H+ + H− and Be+ + H− collisions are performed. Avoided crossings between ionic and covalent states occurring at large internuclear distances are considered, and electronic couplings between these states are estimated using different semi-empirical and ab initio methods and tested on the H+ + H− reaction. The method is then applied to compute the cross sections and final state distributions for mutual neutralization in collisions of H− with Be+. These are reactions that might be important for the modeling of the fusion edge plasma of the divertor of ITER.

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