Reactions of translationally cold trapped CCl⁺ with acetylene (C₂H₂)

Ion-neutral chemical reactions are important in several areas of chemistry, including in some regions of the interstellar medium, planetary atmospheres, and comets. Reactions of CCl⁺ with C₂H₂ are measured, and the main products include C₃H₂ ⁺ and C₃H⁺, both relevant in extraterrestrial environments. Accurate branching ratios are obtained, which favor the formation of C₃H₂ ⁺ over C₃H⁺ by a factor of four. The measured rate constants are on the order of Langevin, and complementary electronic structure calculations are used to aid in the interpretation of experimental results.