State-selective electron capture in collisions of ground and metastable N2+ ions with H(1s) -: art. no. 022707

An ab initio calculation of the electron capture cross sections for collisions of ground and metastable states of N2+ with H(1s) is presented. Total cross sections are evaluated for N-14 impact energies from 2x10(-3) to 300 keV, using both quantal and semiclassical treatments. The results are compared with experimental and previous theoretical data, and are used to check the presence of metastable ions in the beams employed in the experiments. Partial cross sections are also presented and related to the collision mechanism.