Classical and approximate quantum investigations of vibrational energy transfer in S1 p-difluorobenzene

Abstract

A simple model potential energy surface is constructed and used in both quasiclassical trajectory calculations and quantum vibrational close-coupling, infinite order sudden approximation calculations of collision-induced vibrational energy transfer from four vibrational states of S1 p-difluorobenzene. Classical and quantum state-to-state cross sections are compared for excitation of the two lowest energy vibrational states and collision with He or Ar. Qualitatively, the same trends are seen in both sets of results. Classical cross sections, however, are significantly larger at very low collision energies as a consequence of the binning procedures used to determine classical final states and, in the case of the Ar collider, as a result of the possible breakdown of the sudden approximation. Rotational excitation of the p-difluorobenzene molecule is also investigated and found to have only small effects on the dominant energy transfer channels. The theoretical results are compared with recent experimental results of Mudjijono and Lawrance [J. Chem. Phys. 104, 7444 (1996)]. The classical results, for the He, Ne, Ar, and Kr collision partners, show good agreement with experiment, reproducing the major energy transfer channels and the experimental collision partner dependence. Quantum results agree well with experiment for the He collider and are also used to assign experimentally ambiguous product states and to investigate vibrational energy transfer channels that are not experimentally observable. The propensity toward the transfer of multiple quanta of vibrational energy is analyzed and, in general, found to increase with the intermolecular well depth and with the mass of the collision partner. The He collision partner, however, behaves anomalously.