An analytic model of the stereodynamics of rotationally inelastic molecular collisions

Abstract

We develop an analytic model of vector correlations in rotationally inelastic atom-diatom collisions and test it against the much examined Ar--NO (${\mathbf{X}}^2\Pi$) system. Based on the Fraunhofer scattering of matter waves, the model furnishes complex scattering amplitudes needed to evaluate the polarization moments characterizing the quantum stereodynamics. The analytic polarization moments are found to be in an excellent agreement with experimental results and with close-coupling calculations available at thermal energies. The model reveals that the stereodynamics is governed by diffraction from the repulsive core of the Ar--NO potential, which can be characterized by a single Legendre moment.

4 pages, 4 figures, 1 table

References in corpus (4)

• An analytic model of rotationally inelastic collisions of polar molecules in electric fields
• Collisions of paramagnetic molecules in magnetic fields: an analytic model based on Fraunhofer diffraction of matter waves
• The effect of a nonresonant radiative field on low-energy rotationally inelastic ${\text{Na}}^{+}+{\text{N}}_2$ collisions
• A model analysis of rotationally inelastic Ar + H${}_2$O scattering in an electric field

Cited by in corpus (3)

• Manipulation of Molecules with Electromagnetic Fields
• When diffraction rules the stereodynamics of rotationally inelastic collisions
• Multiple scattering of matter waves: an analytic model of the refractive index for atomic and molecular gases