Electron attachment to SF 6 under well defined conditions : Comparison of statistical modeling results

Experiments were carried out using a flowing-afterglow Langmuir-probe apparatus to measure rate constants for electron attachment to SF6 and thermal detachment from SF6'. In a recent series of papers, these results were combined with new and existing data on nondissociative and dissociative attachment to SF6 and compared to statistical modeling of the various processes involved in the stabilization of the ionic products of attachment. This paper gives a summary of those findings. The major conclusions are: (a) only the ground electronic state of SF6" needs to be invoked to explain available data; (b) the electron affinity of SF« is higher than previously thought, namely, EA(SF<i) = 1.20 (± 0.05) eV; (c) the endothermicity of the dissociative electron attachment reaction that yields SF5" is 0.41 eV (± 0.05) eV at 0 K; (d) combining these two numbers gives the bond energy D0°(F—SF$") = 1.61 (± 0.05) eV