Low-energy H+ + H2 reactive collisions

Abstract

An overview of the results of theoretical treatments of the reactive H+ + H2 system in the interval of collision energies Ec = (1 − 500) meV is presented. The inelastic and reactive processes occur via scrambling of protons and formation of a long-lived collision complex, allowing for the application of various statistical theories. The first systematic theoretical treatment has been based on the "most dynamically biased" (MDB) statistical theory. Recently, the numerically exact (converged) time-independent quantum mechanical (TIQM) calculations have been compared with the statistical quantum mechanical (SQM) model. Our recent results have demonstrated, within the mean-potential statistical (MPS) model, the importance of a proper incorporation of the permutation symmetry of equivalent protons taking part in the collision. We present detailed comparisons of the calculated cross sections and thermal rate coefficients obtained by using our MPS model with MDB, SQM and TIQM results.