Experimental ion mobility measurements in Xe-C₂H₆

In this paper we present the results of the ion mobility measurements made in gaseous mixtures of xenon (Xe) with ethane (C(2)H(6)) for pressures ranging from 6 to 10 Torr (8–10.6 mbar) and for low reduced electric fields in the 10 Td to 25 Td range (2.4–6.1 kV⋅cm(−)(1)⋅ bar(−)(1)), at room temperature. The time of arrival spectra revealed two peaks throughout the entire range studied which were attributed to ion species with 3-carbons (C(3)H(5)(+), C(3)H(6)(+) C(3)H(8)(+) and C(3)H(9)(+)) and with 4-carbons (C(4)H(7)(+), C(4)H(9)(+) and C(4)H(10)(+)). Besides these, and for Xe concentrations above 70%, a bump starts to appear at the right side of the main peak for reduced electric fields higher than 20 Td, which was attributed to the resonant charge transfer of C(2)H(6)(+) to C(2)H(6) that affects the mobility of its ion products (C(3)H(8)(+) and C(3)H(9)(+)). The time of arrival spectra for Xe concentrations of 20%, 50%, 70% and 90% are presented, together with the reduced mobilities as a function of the Xe concentration calculated from the peaks observed for the low reduced electric fields and pressures studied.