The
chemi-ionization of Ar, Kr, N2, H2, and
D2 by Ne(3P2) and of Ar, Kr, and
N2 by He(3S1) was studied by electron
velocity map imaging (e-VMI) in a crossed molecular beam experiment.
A curved magnetic hexapole was used to state-select the metastable
species. Collision energies of 60 meV were obtained by individually
controlling the beam velocities of both reactants. The chemi-ionization
of atoms and molecules can proceed along different channels, among
them Penning ionization and associative ionization. The evolution
of the reaction is influenced by the internal redistribution of energy,
which happens at the first reaction step that involves the emission
of an electron. We designed and built an e-VMI spectrometer in order
to investigate the electron kinetic energy distribution, which is
related to the internal state distribution of the ionic reaction products.
The analysis of the electron kinetic energy distributions allows an
estimation of the ratio between the two-reaction channel Penning and
associative ionization. In the molecular cases the vibrational or
electronic excitation enhanced the conversion of internal energy into
the translational energy of the forming ions, thus influencing the
reaction outcome.