Angularly resolved rotationally inelastic scattering of Na/sub 2/-Ne: comparison between experiment and theory

Journal Article · Wed Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982 · Phys. Rev. A; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.26.1283· OSTI ID:6791381

Jones, P L; Hefter, U; Mattheus, A; Witt, J; Bergmann, K; Mueller, W; Meyer, W; Schinke, R

The results of a systematic experimental and theoretical investigation of the differential cross sections for vibronically elastic, rotationally inelastic scattering of Na/sub 2/ from Ne at a center-of-mass collision energy of 190 meV are presented. The experimental cross sections cover the range of rotational transitions ..delta..j = 2 to ..delta..j = 20 for a variety of initial rotational levels including the initially rotationless level j/sub i/ = 0. The data document clearly the major features of rotationally inelastic scattering for collisional systems with steeply repulsive, strongly anisotropic interaction potentials and many energetically open channels, such as main and supernumerary rotational rainbows. The experimental curves are transformed into the center-of-mass reference frame using a constrained minimalization procedure. They are compared with those calculated within the infinite-order sudden approximation from an ab initio potential surface which includes configuration interaction. The results show that the theoretical curves faithfully reproduce both the form and relative magnitudes of the experimental cross sections. An analysis of the sensitivity of the agreement between theory and experiment as the potential is systematically varied indicates that the experimental data place a limit of about +- 5% on the accuracy of the calculated anisotropy. The steepness of the ab initio potential could be varied by -10% or +25% and still lead to an acceptable agreement of calculated and experimental cross sections. The variation of the cross section at the rainbow maximum with ..delta..j and j/sub i/ is shown to be an unreliable test of the accuracy of the potential-energy surface unless a large range of ..delta..j is studied.

• Research Organization: Fachbereich Physik der Universitaet, P. O. Box 3049, D-6750 Kaiserslautern, West Germany
• OSTI ID: 6791381
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. A; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev. A; (United States) Vol. 26:3; ISSN PLRAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640304* -- Atomic
Molecular & Chemical Physics-- Collision Phenomena
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ALKALI METALS
ATOM COLLISIONS
ATOM-ATOM COLLISIONS
COLLISIONS
CROSS SECTIONS
DIFFERENTIAL CROSS SECTIONS
ELASTIC SCATTERING
ELEMENTS
ENERGY LEVELS
EXCITED STATES
FLUIDS
GASES
METALS
NEON
NONMETALS
RARE GASES
ROTATIONAL STATES
SCATTERING
SODIUM