Tests of semiclassical theory for rotationally inelastic scattering

Rotationally inelastic, total integral cross sections are calculated for a model atom-rigid rotor system according to the quantal sudden rotation (IOS) approximation and the classical limit thereof. Errors in the semiclassical results can be substantial depending on the magnitude of both the initial and final rotational quantum numbers.     

Semiclassical perturbation theory for diffraction in heavy atom surface scattering

The semiclassical perturbation theory formalism of Hubbard and Miller [J. Chem. Phys. 78, 1801 (1983)] for atom surface scattering is used to explore the possibility of observation of heavy atom diffractive scattering. In the limit of vanishing ? the semiclassical theory is shown to reduce to the classical perturbation theory. The quantum diffraction pattern is sensitive to the characteristics of the beam of incoming particles. Necessary conditions for observation of quantum diffraction are derived for the angular width of the incoming beam. An analytic expression for the angular distribution as a function of the angular and momentum variance of the incoming beam is obtained. We show both analytically and through some numerical results that increasing the angular width of the incident beam leads to decoherence of the quantum diffraction peaks and one approaches the classical limit. However, the incoherence of the beam in the parallel direction does not destroy the diffraction pattern. We consider the specific example of Ar atoms scattered from a rigid LiF(100) surface.     

Semiclassical scattering matrix for two-state exponential model

A semiclassical scattering matrix for the two-state problem with one non-adiabaticity region is discussed. The Stueckelberg phases for an exponential model are obtained and some limiting cases are considered.     

Exponential perturbation theories for inelastic scattering

An Exponential Perturbation Theory (EPT) is derived whereby one calculates a phase-shift matrix by an nth order perturbation theory and then exponentiates it to obtain the scattering matrix. The theory has been developed to include high-order terms, closed channels and resonances. The radial wavefunctions used are WKB solutions which are generalized to cases where there are multiple turning points. The orbital angular momentum may be treated exactly or in the classical or sudden limits. Calculations are done for the rotationally inelastic scattering in He + H₂, Ar + N₂ and Ar + HCl. The first two systems give fair to good agreement with accurate calculations; the last case gives poor agreement. The first-order EPT is very much better than the first-order distorted-wave approximation.     

Classical dynamics of rotationally inelastic scattering of atoms with molecules

Rotational excitation in collisions of atoms with diatomic molecules is investigated using classical mechanics. The structure of the fully resolved cross sections with respect to the final molecular angular momentum, its projection onto the quantization axis, and the scattering angle are studied numerically using simple model potentials. In particular the influence of isotropic and anistropic attractive forces is investigated. In the first case the structure of the cross section is still similar to that for repulsive scattering. Anistropic attraction introduces new phenomena whose relations to the properties of the potential are explored.     

Application of the Lie algebraic approach to diffractionally and rotationally inelastic molecule–surface scattering

The Lie algebraic approach of Alhassid and Levine [Phys. Rev. A 18 , 89 (1978)] is applied to the molecule–surface scattering. Specially, the diffractionally and rotationally inelastic scattering of a diatomic molecule from a solid surface is dealt with. Within the framework of the close-coupling method, we construct a Hamiltonian for the scattering system and use it to generate a dynamical algebra h₆. By solving equations of motion for the group parameters, the scattering wave functions near the surface are obtained. Computed transition probabilities of diffractively and rotationally inelastic scattering of H₂ from LiF(001) surface with the use of Lie algebraic method are seen to agree well with the coupled-channel calculations. The Lie algebraic method thus appears to have a wide range of validity for describing the dynamics of gas–surface scattering. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 63: 981–989, 1997     

Classical trajectory study of rotationally inelastic scattering of two HF molecules

Classical trajectory calculations of the partial opacities and integral cross sections for rotationally inelastic collisions of HF—HF were carried out for the j₁ = 0,j₂ = 0 → (11), (02), (22) transitions at initial relative translational energies of 500, 1000, and 8000 cm^?1 and for the (11) → (02) transition at 1000 cm^?1. Three different methods of relating the initial and final quantum rotational levels to classical distributions were used. The results were compared to the quantum calculations of DePristo and Alexander. It was found that the classical method using a random distribution of initial rotational energies was in poor agreement with the quantum results, while the other two methods which assigned definite classical energies to the quantum levels were in good agreement with the quantum results.     

Semiclassical self-consistent field perturbation theory for the hydrogen atom in a magnetic field

A recently developed perturbation theory for solving self-consistent field equations is applied to the hydrogen atom in a strong magnetic field. This system has been extensively studied using other methods and is therefore a good test case for the new method. The perturbation theory yields summable large-order expansions. The accuracy of the self-consistent field approximation varies according to field strength and quantum state but is often higher than the accuracy from adiabatic approximations. A new derivation is presented for the asymptotic adiabatic approximation, the most useful of the adiabatic approaches. This derivation uses semiclassical perturbation theory without invoking an adiabatic hypothesis. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 69: 183–192, 1998     

Semiclassical theory of atom-solid surface collisions: Elastic scattering

The elastic scattering of atoms from solid surfaces is examined within the semiclassical framework. Explicit expression for diffraction intensities are obtained which utilize classical trajectory information as the computational device. Effect of lattice disorder are examined.The results of Beeby and Weinberg are considered.An alternative method for extracting the surface atom displacements and the attractive well depth of the atom-surface interaction is discussed.     

A new perturbation approach to coupling between adiabatic states

A new perturbation expansion, formally related to Tanaka-Fukuda perturbation theory, is derived and applied to the general problem of nonadiabatic coupling. The coupling between adiabatic Born-Oppenheimer states in poly-atomic molecules is treated in detail in both the one- and multi-phonon limits, for which previous methods are often unreliable, even for order-of-magnitude estimates.     

Diagrammatic analysis of adiabatic and time-independent perturbation theory for degenerate energy levels

Time-ordered folded diagrams are used to represent the effective hamiltonian in the adiabatic formalism. Resummation of the diagrams is shown to give a term-by-term correspondence with time-independent perturbation theory.     

Differential cross sections from classical perturbation scattering theory. I. ion—dipole scattering

The formalism for calculating differential cross sections for atom—molecule scattering using classical perturbation scattering theory (CPST) is developed. The results are applied to the scattering of an ion by a dipolar molecule. The interaction potential used in the calculation consists of the ion—dipole and ion—induced dipole terms in the long-range expansion of the potential. Various approximate methods for calculating differential cross sections are also considered.     

State-to-state differential and relative integral cross sections for rotationally inelastic scattering of H2O by hydrogen

State-to-state differential cross sections (DCSs) for rotationally inelastic scattering of H(2)O by H(2) have been measured at 71.2 meV (574 cm(-1)) and 44.8 meV (361 cm(-1)) collision energy using crossed molecular beams combined with velocity map imaging. A molecular beam containing variable compositions of the (J = 0, 1, 2) rotational states of hydrogen collides with a molecular beam of argon seeded with water vapor that is cooled by supersonic expansion to its lowest para or ortho rotational levels (J(KaKc) = 0(00) and 1(01), respectively). Angular speed distributions of fully specified rotationally excited final states are obtained using velocity map imaging. Relative integral cross sections are obtained by integrating the DCSs taken with the same experimental conditions. Experimental state-specific DCSs are compared with predictions from fully quantum scattering calculations on the most complete H(2)O-H(2) potential energy surface. Comparison of relative total cross sections and state-specific DCSs show excellent agreement with theory in almost all details.     

The centrifugally decoupled exponential distorted wave (CDEDW) approximation for the calculation of rotationally inelastic molecular collision cross se

A new approximate method is presented for the rapid calculation of rotationally inelastic molecular collision cross sections. The method is called the centrifugally decoupled exponential distorted wave (CDEDW) approximation and involves the combination of two well known approximations. The first approximation is the neglect of the off-diagonal coupling terms which arise from the orbital angular momentum operator in the coupled differential equations in the body-fixed axis system. The second approximation is to treat the remaining coupling terms, which arise from the interaction potential, using a unitary perturbation approximation. The CDEDW method is applied to the calculation of total and partial rotationally inelastic cross sections in the ArN₂ system, and detailed comparisons are made with exact and several other types of approximate calculations. Agreement with exact calculations is good and often comparable with the coupled states and p-helicity decoupled approximations. The CDEDW method requires a similar amount of computational effort to the infinite order sudden (IOS) approximation, and we show that for the present system the CDEDW method gives more reliable results.     

Selection rules for collisional energy transfer in homonuclear diatomics. rotationally inelastic collisions

We have made a precise study of the circular polarisation of rotationally resolved features of laser-excited iodine. The J′ = 19, ν′ = 16 level of ³II⁺_ou was excited using circularly polarised dye-laser fluorescence and a quantitative data on polarisation features representing inelastic transfer of ΔJ′ = 30 was recorded. The experimental circular polarisation ratios were compared to those predicted by two totally conserving models, ΔM = 0 and Δθ = 0. The agreement between experimental points and the predictions based on the former lead to the formation of a new selection due on rotationally inelastic transfer namely, ΔM = 0.     

Semiclassical theory for diatom-diatom collisions

A semiclassical approach to diatom-diatom collisions is presented. The method involves a classical treatment of the translational and rotational motion of both molecules. The vibrational degrees of freedom are quantized using a Morse oscillator approximation. The method is used to evaluate the accuracy of previous calculations based upon the energy-corrected harmonic-oscillator approach.     

Statistical mechanics in rotationally inelastic scattering of molecules from surface within the dynamical Lie algebraic method

The dynamical Lie algebraic (DLA) method of Alhassid and Levine [Phys. Rev. A 18 (1978) 89] is applied to statistical mechanics in rotationally inelastic scattering of molecules from surfaces. Specifically, the method is generalized to include the motion of surface atoms, i.e., phonons. For given Hamiltonian and initial state, the set of constraints required to obtain the solution of the motion equations is determined by an algebraic procedure. It is furthermore found possible to derive the motion equations for the mean values of the constraints. Application of the method to the scattering of NO molecules from a Pt(1 1 1) surface is made. The mean values of the final energies of NO molecules scattered from the surface obtained using the DLA method are in good agreement with experimental results in qualitative trends. The DLA method thus appears to have a wide range of validity for describing the statistical mechanics of the gas-surface scattering.     

An analytic model of rotationally inelastic collisions of polar molecules in electric fields

We present an analytic model of thermal state-to-state rotationally inelastic collisions of polar molecules in electric fields. The model is based on the Fraunhofer scattering of matter waves and requires Legendre moments characterizing the "shape" of the target in the body-fixed frame as its input. The electric field orients the target in the space-fixed frame and thereby effects a striking alteration of the dynamical observables: both the phase and amplitude of the oscillations in the partial differential cross sections undergo characteristic field-dependent changes that transgress into the partial integral cross sections. As the cross sections can be evaluated for a field applied parallel or perpendicular to the relative velocity, the model also offers predictions about steric asymmetry. We exemplify the field-dependent quantum collision dynamics with the behavior of the Ne-OCS((1)Sigma) and Ar-NO((2)Pi) systems. A comparison with the close-coupling calculations available for the latter system [Chem. Phys. Lett. 313, 491 (1999)] demonstrates the model's ability to qualitatively explain the field dependence of all the scattering features observed.     

Extended multi-configuration quasi-degenerate perturbation theory: the new approach to multi-state multi-reference perturbation theory

The distinctive desirable features, both mathematically and physically meaningful, for all partially contracted multi-state multi-reference perturbation theories (MS-MR-PT) are explicitly formulated. The original approach to MS-MR-PT theory, called extended multi-configuration quasi-degenerate perturbation theory (XMCQDPT), having most, if not all, of the desirable properties is introduced. The new method is applied at the second order of perturbation theory (XMCQDPT2) to the 1(1)A(')-2(1)A(') conical intersection in allene molecule, the avoided crossing in LiF molecule, and the 1(1)A(1) to 2(1)A(1) electronic transition in cis-1,3-butadiene. The new theory has several advantages compared to those of well-established approaches, such as second order multi-configuration quasi-degenerate perturbation theory and multi-state-second order complete active space perturbation theory. The analysis of the prevalent approaches to the MS-MR-PT theory performed within the framework of the XMCQDPT theory unveils the origin of their common inherent problems. We describe the efficient implementation strategy that makes XMCQDPT2 an especially useful general-purpose tool in the high-level modeling of small to large molecular systems.