Geometrical Phase Driven Predissociation: Lifetimes of22A′Levels ofH3

Abstract

We discuss the role of the geometric phase in predissociation dynamics of vibrational states near a conical intersection of two electronic potential surfaces of a D{3h} molecule. We present a method to calculate lifetimes and positions of predissociated vibrational states (Feshbach resonances) for such X3 molecules. The method accounts for the two coupled three-body potential surfaces. As an example, the method is applied to obtain vibrational levels of the 2;{2}A' electronic state of H3. The three-body recombination rate coefficient for the H+H+H-->H{2}+H process is estimated.