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Pulsed mass spectrometric studies of ArNO+ and ArC 2H 2 + ions formed by associative ionization show that even at very short times after excitation by 22−eV electrons, the predominant excited reactants are argon atoms in metastable states. Products of the specific reaction rates and the cross section for excitation into the triplet states of argon have been measured. From these results an estimate of 3 × 10 −17 cm 2 for the excitation cross section is made.