Classical trajectory calculations for state-resolved Penning ionisation reactions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon C10H8 in collision with He*(23S)

ABSTRACT

The reaction dynamics of Penning ionisation of a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), naphthalene C₁₀H₈, in collision with the metastable He*(2³S) atom is studied by classical trajectory calculations using an approximate interaction potential energy surface between He* and the molecule, which is constructed based on ab initio calculations for the isovalent Li?+?C₁₀H₈ system. The ionisation width (rate) around the molecular surface are obtained from overlap integrals of the He 1s orbital and the molecular orbital. The calculated collision energy dependences of partial Penning ionisation cross sections (CEDPICS) in the range 50–500?meV at 300?K have reproduced the experimental results semi-quantitatively. The opacity functions, which represent the reaction probability with respect to the impact parameter b, are discussed in connection with collision energy, interaction with He* and the exterior electron density of molecular orbitals. They indicate that the collisional ionisations of C₁₀H₈ can be classified into three types: π electron ionisations with negative collision energy dependences which are predominantly determined by attractive interaction with He*; σ orbitals ionisations of the hardcore type; σ orbital ionisations which reflect interaction potentials around CH bonds. The critical impact parameters b_c become larger with increasing collision energy due to the centrifugal barrier.