Mutual neutralization of H3+ and H- ions in slow collisions

The process of mutual neutralization of H-3(+) and H- ions in the CM collision energy range 0.1 eV/u-10 keV/ u is studied within the multi-channel Landau-Zener model. From the multitude of covalent H-3* + H(1s) states only the states (2s)(2) A(1)', (3s)(2) A(1)' and (3d)(2) A(1)' are strongly coupled with the initial ionic H-3(+) + H- state. The total mutual-neutralization cross-section has a broad maximum around E-CM = 1ke V/u of about 3 x 10(-15) cm(2), and below similar to 100 eV/u it monotonically increases with decreasing the collision energy, surpassing a value of similar to 3 x 10(-13) cm(2) below ECM = 0.1 eV/u. The mutual neutralization of H-3(+) and H- ions is, therefore, an important process in cold hydrogen plasmas.