Energy dependence of the cross section for alkali—methyl iodide reactions

The dependence of the reaction cross section for all the alkali—methyl iodide reactions on the translational energy in the range E_T = 0–40 kcal/mole has been discussed in an idealized collision model of hard-sphere interaction between colliding particles. In all reaction of the family, the cross section increases sharply with E_T showing an Arrhenius-like positive energy dependence for E_T just past threshold and then takes a maximum value. The maximum value is largest for the Cs reaction and decreases with the alkali mass except that it slightly increases from Rb to K, and the peak becomes broader as the mass decreases. In the post-maximum region the cross section decreases slowly with E_T.