Fully Differential Investigation of Two-Center Interference in Dissociative Capture in p + H₂ Collisions

We have measured and calculated fully differential cross sections for vibrational dissociation following capture in 75-keV p + H2 collisions. For a molecular orientation perpendicular to the projectile beam axis and parallel to the transverse momentum transfer we observe a pronounced interference structure. The positions of the interference extrema suggest that the interference term is afflicted with a phase shift which depends on the projectile scattering angle. However, no significant dependence on the kinetic-energy release was observed. Considerable discrepancies between our calculations and experimental data were found