Soft electron impact ionization in crossed molecular beam reactive scattering: the dynamics of the O((3)P)+C(2)H(2) reaction.

Soft ionization by low-energy, tunable electrons is implemented for the first time in crossed molecular beam reactive scattering experiments with mass-spectrometric detection. The power of the method, which permits the suppression of the dissociative ionization of interfering species, is exemplified with the study of the O((3)P)+C(2)H(2) multichannel reaction.