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In a drift-tube study, four simple formulas, based on a dynamic equilibrium analysis of two gaseous ion swarms, are proposed to determine simultaneously the forward and reverse reaction frequencies together with two drift velocities. The formulas are put to the test for (N+4,N+2)/N2 system with two arrival time spectra (ATS) generated from the experimental data previously reported at E/N=150 Td (the ratio of electric field strength to gas number density: 1 Td=10-17 V cm2). The percent differences between the data and the determined values are estimated to be 0.8%, -1.4%, 6.8%, and 4.9%, for the drift velocities of N+4 and N+2 ions and the forward and reverse reaction frequencies, respectively. For the same system, two experimental ATS obtained at 180 Td by McKnight et al., being supposedly in near equilibrium, are directly examined by this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a drift-tube analysis, an asymptotic solution for the transport of inter-reacting multiple ion swarms approaching to dynamic equilibrium is proposed. The solution describes a set of similar Gaussian profiles with two common ‘‘equilibrium’’ transport coefficients. Although all the profiles apparently aggregate to the same location, there exists a slight peak difference between arbitrary two spectra. The difference holds even in the equilibrium. A generalized equilibrium constant is defined by the quotient of two reaction-frequency determinants. Those four kinetic constants are uniquely determined from the kinetic coefficients of all ion species without any influence of the initial conditions. The discrepancy between the thermal equilibrium and dynamic equilibrium is briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]