Collisions of halogen (/sup 2/P) and rare gas (/sup 1/S) atoms. [Differential cross sections, elastic model, coupling potential energy, L-S coupling, multiplets

Abstract

Differential cross sections I (THETA) at several collision energies measured in crossed molecular beam experiments are reported for several combinations of halogen atoms (/sup 2/P) scattered off rare gas-rare gas atoms (/sup 1/S/sub 0/), namely, F + Ne, F + Ar, F + Kr, F + Xe, C1 + Xe. The scattering is described by an elastic model appropriate to Hund's case c coupling. With the use of this model, the X 1/2, I 3/2, and II 1/2 interaction potential energy curves are derived by fitting calculated differential cross sections, based on analytic representations of the potentials, to the data. The F - Xe X 1/2 potential shows a significant bonding qualitatively different than for the other F-rare gases. The I 3/2 and II 1/2 potentials closely resemble the van der Waals interactions of the one electron richer ground state rare gas-rare gas systems. Coupled-channel scattering calculations are carried out for F + Ar, F + Xe, and C1 + Xe using the realistic potential curves derived earlier. The results justify the use of the elastic model, and give additional information on intramultiplet and intermultiplet transitions. The transitions are found to be governed by the crossing of the two ..cap omega.. = 1/2 potentials in the complex plane. The measured I (theta) and I (THETA) derived from the coupled-channel computations show small oscillations or perturbations (Stueckelberg oscillations) though quantitative agreement is not obtained.The nature of the anomalous F - Xe X 1/2 potential is discussed as is the approximation of a constant spin orbit coupling over the experimentally accessible range of internuclear distances for these open shell molecules. 55 references.