Decay of H-2 anions in solid parahydrogen via two-stage quantum tunneling diffusion processes

Decay mechanism of H-2(-) anions in X(gamma)-irradiated solid para-H-2 (p-H-2) has been studied using high-resolution ESR spectroscopy in the temperature range between 1.3-6.6 K. The results are summarized as follows. First, the decay rate constant of the H-2(-) anions is not proportional to initial yields of reactive species such as cations and H atoms but proportional to the concentration of less-reactive species of HD molecules in p-H-2. This result shows that the decay of the H-2(-) anion is due to the reaction neither with cations nor H atoms but the HD molecules originally contained in the p-H-2 sample at natural abundance. Second, the decay rate constant of the H-2(-) anions increases proportionally with the increase in temperature below 3 K and decreases with the increase in temperature between 3-5 K, although it increases exponentially with the increase in temperature above 5 K. This result indicates that the decay rate constant of the H-2(-) anions is controlled by the rate constant for the diffusion of the H-2(-) anions via one-phonon assisted quantum tunneling below 3 K, two-photon scattered or assisted quantum tunneling between 3-5 K, and thermally-activated process above 5 K.