Collision-induced harpooning observed in the excimer formation in the oriented NF3 + oriented Kr*(3P2, MJ = 2) reaction

We have studied how the KrF* formation in the NF3 t Kr*(3P2) reaction depends on the mutual configuration between the orientation of the NF3 molecule and the alignment of the Kr*(3P2, M(J) = 2) atom in the collision frame. The molecular steric opacity function has been determined as a function of the atomic orbital alignment (M'(L)) in the collision frame. The molecular steric opacity function turns out to depend remarkably on M'(L) ; the |M'(L)| = 1 alignment is favorable at the molecular axis direction, whereas the M'(L) = 0 alignment is favorable at the sideways direction with a very poor reactivity at the molecular axis direction. The influence of deformation of the NF3 geometry on the electron affinity has been evaluated by ab initio calculation, and the M'(L) dependent intermolecular potential has been estimated from the interaction potential for the bromine-rare gas system. We propose the "collision-induced harpooning mechanism" as a novel process for the harpooning in which collisional deformation of the NF3 geometry with C(s) symmetry plays an important role as an initiating factor on electron transfer for the formation of NF3(-) due to increasing the electron affinity of NF3 and due to localizing the negative charge on the closest F-atom of NF3(-) anion. All experimental observations can support the collision-induced harpooning mechanism.