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Title: Proton--H/sub 2/ scattering on an ab initio CI potential energy surface. I. Vibrational excitation at 10 eV

Journal Article · · J. Chem. Phys.; (United States)
OSTI ID:5481303

A complete configuration interaction (CI) ground state surface for the H/sub 3//sup +/ system has been calculated using 5S and 3(P/sub x/,P/sub y/,P/sub x/) basis functions at each center. A total of 650 nuclear geometries has been considered which makes the new surface appropriate not only for scattering calculations, but also for the evaluation of the vibrational--rotational spectrum of the H/sub 3//sup +/ molecule. Significant deviations are found from the analytic Giese and Gentry potential used in many previous theoretical studies, especially for large and small nonequilibrium H--H separations which are important for vibrational excitation of the H/sub 2/ molecule. Vibrational--rotational excitation cross sections have been calculated in the rotational sudden approximation where the vibrational degree of freedom is treated exactly by solving seven vibrationally coupled radial equations. The use of the new surface leads to increased vibrational excitation compared to previous calculations utilizing the same scattering approximation and to excellent agreement at 10 eV with the angle-dependent measurements of Hermann, Schmidt, and Linder.

Research Organization:
Fachbereich Physik, Universitaet Kaiserslautern, 675 Kaiserslautern, Federal Republic of Germany
OSTI ID:
5481303
Journal Information:
J. Chem. Phys.; (United States), Vol. 72:7
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English