A state-to-state dynamical study of the Br + H(2) reaction: comparison of quantum and classical trajectory results

We present a detailed theoretical investigation of the dynamics corresponding to the strongly endothermic Br + H(2) (v = 0-1, j = 0) → H + HBr reaction in the 0.85 to 1.9 eV total energy range. State-averaged and state-to-state results obtained through time-independent wave packet (TIWP) and time-independent quantum mechanical (TIQM) calculations and quasiclassical trajectories (QCT) are compared and analyzed. The agreement in the results obtained with both quantum mechanical results is very good overall. However, although QCT calculations reproduce the general features, their agreement with the QM results is sometimes only qualitative. The analysis of the mechanism based on state-averaged results turns out to be deceptive and conveys an oversimplified picture of the reaction consistent with a direct-rebound mechanism. Consideration of state-to-state processes, in contrast, unveils the existence of multiple mechanisms that give rise to a succession of maxima in the differential cross section (DCS). Such mechanisms correlate with different sets of partial waves and display similar collision times when analyzed through the time-dependent DCS.     

Quantum mechanical and quasiclassical trajectory scattering calculations for the C(1D) + H2 reaction on the second excited 1 1A" potential energy surface

Time-independent quantum mechanical (QM) and quasiclassical trajectory (QCT) scattering calculations have been carried out for the C(1D) + H2 --> CH + H reaction at a collision energy of 80 meV on a newly developed ab initio potential energy surface [B. Bussery-Honvault et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 7, 1476 (2005)] of 1 1A" symmetry, corresponding to the second singlet state 1 1B1 of CH2. A general good agreement has been found between the QM and QCT rotational distributions and differential cross sections (DCSs). In both cases, DCSs are strongly peaked in the forward direction with a small contribution in the backward direction in contrast with those obtained on the 1 1A' surface, which are nearly symmetric. Rotational distributions obtained on the 1 1A" surface are somewhat colder than those calculated on the 1 1A' surface. The specific dynamics and the contribution of the 1 1A" surface to the overall reactivity of this system are discussed.     

Cumulative reaction probabilities: A comparison between quasiclassical and quantum mechanical results

This article presents a quasiclassical trajectory (QCT) method for determining the cumulative reaction probability (CRP) as a function of the total energy. The method proposed is based on a discrete sampling using integer values of the total and orbital angular momentum quantum numbers for each trajectory and on the development of equations that have a clear counterpart in the quantum mechanical (QM) case. The calculations comprise cumulative reaction probabilities at a given total angular momentum J, as well as those summed over J. The latter are used to compute QCT rate constants. The method is illustrated by comparing QCT and exact QM results for the H+H2, H+D2, D+H2, and H+HD reactions. The agreement between QCT and QM results is very good, with small discrepancies between the two data sets indicating some genuine quantum effects. The most important of these involves the value of the CRP at low energies which, due to the absence of tunneling, is lower in the QCT calculations, causing the corresponding rate constants to be smaller. The second is the steplike structure that is clearly displayed in the QM CRP for J = 0, which is much smoother in the corresponding QCT results. However, when the QCT density of reactive states, i.e., the derivatives of the QCT CRP with respect to the energy, is calculated, a succession of maxima and minima is obtained which roughly resembles those found in the QM calculations, although the latter are considerably sharper. The analysis of the broad peaks in the QCT density of reactive states indicates that the distributions of collision times associated with the maxima are somewhat broader, with a tail extending to larger collision times, than those associated with the minima. In addition, the QM and QCT dynamics of the isotopic variants mentioned above are compared in the light of their CRPs. Issues such as the compliance of the QCT CRP with the law of microscopic reversibility, as well as the similarity between the CRPs for ortho and para species in the QM and QCT cases, are also addressed.