Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Collisional dissociation of dimers by monomers in rare gases

Journal Article · · J. Chem. Phys.; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.443221· OSTI ID:5840104

Cross sections and thermal rate coefficients for single-collision dissociation in ground-state Rg/sub 2/ by Rg (Rg = Ne,Ar,Kr, and Xe) were computed using Monte Carlo quasiclassical trajectories. The influence of vibrational and rotational excitation of the dissociation cross sections and rate coefficients was investigated for Ar+Ar/sub 2/. The following conclusions are reached. At high collision energies the cross section for dissociation of ground-state dimers is given by ..pi..R/sup 2//sub e/ (where R/sub e/ is the equilibrium internuclear separation of the dimer). Initial vibrational excitation greatly enhances dissociation; initial rotation also enhances dissociation but not to the extent that vibration does. The temperature dependence of the rate coefficients for dissociation of ground-state dimers is shown to be well described by k = CT/sup -1/3/. The rate of Ar/sub 2/ dissociation by Ar is found to be orders of magnitude greater than previously reported values.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545
OSTI ID:
5840104
Journal Information:
J. Chem. Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Chem. Phys.; (United States) Vol. 76:4; ISSN JCPSA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English