Steric Effects in the Inelastic Scattering of NO(X) + Ar: Side-on Orientation

The rotationally inelastic collisions of NO(X) with Ar, in which the NO bond-axis is oriented side-on (i.e., perpendicular) to the incoming collision partner, are investigated experimentally and theoretically. The NO(X) molecules are selected in the |j = 0.5, Ω = 0.5, ε = -1, f⟩ state prior to bond-axis orientation in a static electric field. The scattered NO products are then state selectively detected using velocity-map ion imaging. The experimental bond-axis orientation resolved differential cross sections and integral steric asymmetries are compared with quantum mechanical calculations, and are shown to be in good agreement. The strength of the orientation field is shown to affect the structure observed in the differential cross sections, and to some extent also the steric preference, depending on the ratio of the initial e and f Λ-doublets in the superposition determined by the orientation field. Classical and quantum calculations are compared and used to rationalize the structures observed in the differential cross sections. It is found that these structures are due to quantum mechanical interference effects, which differ for the two possible orientations of the NO molecule due to the anisotropy of the potential energy surface probed in the side-on orientation. Side-on collisions are shown to maximize and afford a high degree of control over the scattering intensity at small scattering angles (θ < 90°), while end-on collisions are predicted to dominate in the backward scattered region (θ > 90°).

Rotational Orientation Effects in NO(X) + Ar Inelastic Collisions

Rotational angular momentum orientation effects in the rotationally inelastic collisions of NO(X) with Ar have been investigated both experimentally and theoretically at a collision energy of 530 cm(-1). The collision-induced orientation has been determined experimentally using a hexapole electric field to select the ϵ = -1 Λ-doublet level of the NO(X) j = 1/2 initial state. Fully quantum state resolved polarization-dependent differential cross sections were recorded experimentally using a crossed molecular beam apparatus coupled with a (1 + 1') resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization detection scheme and subsequent velocity-map imaging. To determine the NO sense of rotation, the probe radiation was circularly polarized. Experimental orientation polarization-dependent differential cross sections are compared with those obtained from quantum mechanical scattering calculations and are found to be in good agreement. The origin of the collision-induced orientation has been investigated by means of close-coupled quantum mechanical, quantum mechanical hard shell, quasi-classical trajectory (QCT), and classical hard shell calculations at the same collision energy. Although there is evidence for the operation of limiting classical mechanisms, the rotational orientation cannot be accounted for by QCT calculations and is found to be strongly influenced by quantum mechanical effects.

Product rotational angular momentum polarization of H+FCl (v=0-5; j=0, 3, 6, 9) → HF+Cl and HCl+F at Erel=0.5-20 kcal mol(-1)

The rotational angular momentum polarizations of product molecules of the title reactions on the ground potential energy surface 1 (2)A' of DHTSN [Deskevic et al. J Chem Phys 2006, 124, 224303] have been studied using the quasi-classical trajectory method. Reaction dynamic results of the HF product channel comparing with another channel of HCl with 100,000 trajectories can be accurately resolved. We show the value of the polar p(ϑr) in the range of 0° ≤ ϑr ≤ 180(°), azimuthal p(φr) in the range of 0° ≤ φr ≤ 360(°), and dihedral p(ϑr, φr) in the ranges of 0(°) ≤ ϑr ≤ 180(°) and 0(°) ≤ φr ≤ 360(°); the angular distributions of the product molecules HF and HCl at relative Erel = 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 15, and 20 kcal mol(-1); and four polarization-dependent differential cross sections (PDDCSs) of HF and HCl at Erel = 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, and 15 kcal mol(-1). p(φr) distributions at v = 0-5, and j = 0, 3, 6, 9 at every Erel are plotted cylindrically together. The stereo dynamic transformation reaction dependent upon the rovibrational states of the reactant molecule FCl and its relative translational energies around 0.5-5 kcal mol(-1) can be significantly differentiated. Translational and rovibrational enhancements of the title reactions on both early barrier potential energy surfaces have been shown in great detail and clarified. Reaction mechanisms of forward and backward scattering of the product molecules HF and HCl, respectively, have been obtained. Graphical Abstract H + FCl → either HF + Cl (left) or HCl + F (right) is moving along a trajectory on the respective PES.

Origin of collision-induced molecular orientation

Collision-induced rotational angular momentum orientation is a fundamental property of molecular scattering, which is sensitive to the balance between attractive and repulsive forces at play during collision. Here, we quantify a new mechanism leading to orientation, which is purely quantum mechanical in origin. Although the new mechanism is quite general, and will operate more widely in atomic and molecular scattering, it is observed here for impulsive hard shell collisions, for which the orientation vanishes classically. The quantum mechanism can thus be studied in isolation from other processes. The orientation is proposed to originate from the nonlocal nature of the quantum mechanical collision encounter.

New findings regarding the NO angular momentum orientation in Ar-NO(2Π(1/2)) collisions

This article reports a theoretical study of the stereodynamics of Ar + NO(X(2)Π, v = 0, j = 1/2, Ω = 1/2, ε = ±1) rotationally inelastic collisions. First, quantum scattering data are used to calculate all differential polarisation moments of the reagent and product molecules; this leads to the observation that the orientations of the reagent and product angular momenta are very strongly correlated. Next, canonical collision mechanisms theory [Aldegunde et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2008, 10, 1139] is used to separate and characterise the stereodynamics of the two independent collision mechanisms that contribute to the collision dynamics; this leads to the observation that the average product orientation is determined by the relative contributions of the two canonical mechanisms, which have comparable importance but are associated with starkly contrasting angular momentum orientations. These observations lead to a new and rigorous explanation of the experimental results reported a decade ago by Lorenz et al. [Science, 2001, 293, 2063]. The central fact of the new explanation is the incoherent, interference-free superposition of two independent collision mechanisms. This makes the new explanation radically different from the only one previously suggested, namely that the experimental observations might be due to quantum interference in a single collision mechanism.

PRODUCT ROTATIONAL ANGULAR MOMENTUM POLARIZATION IN REACTIONS D + FCl(v = 0,j = 0) → DCl + F, DF + Cl

A comparative quasi-classical trajectory study on the product alignment and orientation of reactions D + FCl (v,j) → DCl + F , DF + Cl are carried out on a recently computed 12A′ ground-state surface reported by Deskevich et al. The reaction probabilities, integral and differential cross-sections as a function of collision energy are presented. The differential cross-sections and 〈P2(j′ ⋅ k)〉 are governed by different reaction mechanisms for these two reactions. P(θr) and P(ϕr) distributions of products DCl and DF at four selected collision energies of 5, 10, 16 and 30 kcal/mol indicate that DCl and DF product molecules are not only aligned, but also oriented along y-axis. By comparing the P(θr) and P(ϕr) distributions of reactions H + FCl (v = 0,j = 0) → HCl + F and H + FCl (v = 0,j = 0) → HF + Cl , mass factor has some influence on stereodynamics of the title reactions, but the features of PES should have major influence on the difference between dynamics of reactions D + FCl (v = 0,j = 0) → DCl + F and D + FCl (v = 0,j = 0) → DF + Cl .

Product rotational angular momentum polarization in the H+FCl(v=0-5, j=0, 3, 6, 9)→HF+Cl reaction

The product alignment and orientation of the title reaction on the ground potential energy surface of 1 (2)A' have been studied using the quasi-classical trajectory method. The calculations were carried out for case (a) at collision energies of 0.5-20 kcal mol(-1) with the initially rovibrational state of the reagent FCl molecule being at the v = 0 and j = 0 level to especially reveal in detail the dependence of the product integral cross section on collision energy. Further calculations at the collision energy of 15 kcal mol(-1) for case (b) at v = 0-5, and j = 0, and (c) at v = 0, and j = 3, 6, 9 initial states were carried out to reveal the effect of initially vibrational and rotational excitations on stereodynamics, respectively. Possessing final relative velocity k' (defined as a vector in the xz-plane), product alignment perpendicular to the reagent relative velocity vector k (defined as z- or parallel to the z-axis), for case (a) is found to be weaker at all collision energies, for case (b) is found to be vibrationally enhanced by the reactant molecule FCl, but for case (c), rather insensitive to initially rotational excitation. The rotational vector of product molecular orientation pointing to either negative or positive direction of the y-axis in the center of mass frame, e.g. origin of the coordinate system, is enhanced by collision energies regarding to 0.5-20 kcal mol(-1), while it becomes weaker at higher vibrational (v = 0-5) or rotational (j = 0, 3, 6, 9) excitation levels. Effects of collision energies and of rotational excitation at these collision energies, with 15 kcal mol(-1) as an example on the calculated PDDCSs are also shown and discussed. Detailed plots P(φ(r)) in the range of 0 ≤φ(r)≤ 360(o), and P(θ(r), φ(r)) in the ranges of 0 ≤θ(r)≤ 180° and 0 ≤φ(r)≤ 360° at collision energies 0.5-20 kcal mol(-1) have been presented. Overall, results of PDDCSs of the product alignment and product orientation at these collision energies in the title reaction are not very strongly distinguishable.

Frequency modulated spectroscopy as a probe of molecular collision dynamics

We describe the application of frequency modulated spectroscopy (FMS) with an external cavity tuneable diode laser to the study of the scalar and vector properties of inelastic collisions. CN X(2)Sigma(+) radicals are produced by polarized photodissociation of ICN at 266 nm, with a sharp velocity and rotational angular momentum distribution. The collisional evolution of the distribution is observed via sub-Doppler FMS on the A(2)Pi-X(2)Sigma(+) (2,0) band. He, Ar, N(2), O(2) and CO(2) were studied as collider gases. Doppler profiles were acquired in different experimental geometries of photolysis and probe laser propagation and polarization, and on different spectroscopic branches. These were combined to give composite Doppler profiles from which the speed distributions and specific speed-dependent vector correlations could be determined. The angular scattering dynamics with species other than He are found to be very similar, dominated by backward scattering which accompanies transfer of energy between rotation and translation. The kinematics of collisions with He are not conducive to the determination of differential scattering and angular momentum polarization correlations. Angular momentum correlations show interesting differences between reactive and non-reactive colliders. We propose that this reflects differences in the potential energy surfaces, in particular, the nature and depth of attractive potential wells.