Isotope dependence of the lifetime of ozone complexes formed in O + O2collisions

Abstract

Results of classical trajectory calculations are presented for the lifetime of ozone complexes formed in collisions of O atoms with O2 diatoms. The average trajectory lifetimes for the complexes 16O3, 16O18O2 and 18O16O2 are significantly different. The difference decreases with increasing collision energy and is shown to be due to the difference in the quantum mechanical zero-point energies of reactants and products, which is incorporated in a phenomenological way in the classical calculations.