Theoretical study of the reactions of Ar++HX(v=0) and Ar+HX+(v) (X=H and D) at E=0.1 eV using the trajectory surface hopping method

Quantum and statistical state-to-state studies of cold Ar + H2+ collisions

In this work we present new state-to-state integral scattering cross sections and initial-state selected rate coefficients for the 36Ar (1S) + H2+ (X2Σg+,v = 0,j) reactive system for collision energies up to 0.1 eV (with respect to the 36Ar (1S) + H2+ (X2Σg+,v = 0,j = 0) channel). To the best of our knowledge, these cross sections are the first fully state resolved ones that were obtained by performing time-independent quantum mechanical and quantum statistical calculations. For this purpose a new full-dimensional ground state 2A' adiabatic electronic potential energy surface was calculated at the MRCI+Q/aug-cc-pVQZ level of theory, which was fitted by means of machine learning methods. We find that a statistical quantum method and a statistical adiabatic channel model reproduce quantum mechanical initial-state selected cross sections fairly well, thus suggesting that complex-forming mechanisms seem to be playing an important role in the reaction dynamics of the reaction that was studied.

Machine Learning Representations of the Three Lowest Adiabatic Electronic Potential Energy Surfaces for the ArH2+ Reactive System

In this work, we present Gaussian process regression machine learning representations of the three lowest coupled 2A' adiabatic electronic potential energy surfaces of the ArH2+ reactive system in full dimensionality. Additionally, the nonadiabatic coupling matrix elements were calculated. These adiabatic potentials and their nonadiabatic couplings are necessary ingredients in the theoretical investigation of the nonadiabatic reaction dynamics of the Ar + H2+ → ArH+ + H and Ar+ + H2 → ArH+ + H reactions, as well as the competing charge transfer process, Ar + H2+↔ Ar+ + H2. Accurate ab initio electronic structure calculations (ic-MRCI+Q/aug-cc-pVQZ), whereby the effect of spin-orbit coupling in Ar+ has been accounted for through the state interaction method, serve as input for the machine learning training process. The potential energy surfaces are fitted with high accuracies, with root-mean-square errors on the order of 10-7 eV for the three surfaces, which meet the requirements for chemical dynamics at low temperature. It was found that quite a large number of training points (of the order of 5000 ab initio points) are needed in order to achieve these accuracies due to the complex topography of these electronic surfaces.

Ion kinetics in Ar/H2 cold plasmas: the relevance of ArH

The recent discovery of ArH+ in the interstellar medium has awakened the interest in the chemistry of this ion. In this work, the ion-molecule kinetics of cold plasmas of Ar/H2 is investigated in glow discharges spanning the whole range of [H2]/([H2]+[Ar]) proportions for two pressures, 1.5 and 8 Pa. Ion concentrations are determined by mass spectrometry, and electron temperatures and densities, with Langmuir probes. A kinetic model is used for the interpretation of the results. The selection of experimental conditions evinces relevant changes with plasma pressure in the ion distributions dependence with the H2 fraction, particularly for the major ions: Ar+, ArH+ and H3+. At 1.5 Pa, ArH+ prevails for a wide interval of H2 fractions: 0.3<[H2]/([H2]+[Ar])<0.7. Nevertheless, a pronounced displacement of the ArH+ maximum towards the lowest H2 fractions is observed at 8 Pa, in detriment of Ar+, which becomes restricted to very small [H2]/([H2]+[Ar]) ratios, whereas H3+ becomes dominant for all [H2]/([H2]+[Ar]) > 0.1. The analysis of the data with the kinetic model allows the identification of the sources and sinks of the major ions over the whole range of experimental conditions sampled. Two key factors turn out to be responsible for the different ion distributions observed: the electron temperature, which determines the rate of Ar+ formation and thus of ArH+, and the equilibrium ArH+ + H2 ⇄ H3+ + Ar, which can be strongly dependent of the degree of vibrational excitation of H3+. The results are discussed and compared with previously published data on other Ar/H2 plasmas.

Time-dependent quantum wave packet study of the Ar+H2+→ArH(+)+H reaction on a new ab initio potential energy surface for the ground electronic state (1(2)A')

A new global potential energy surface for the ground electronic state (1(2)A') of the Ar+H2(+)→ArH(+)+H reaction has been constructed by multi-reference configuration interaction method with Davidson correction and a basis set of aug-cc-pVQZ. Using 6080 ab initio single-point energies of all the regions for the dynamics, a many-body expansion function form has been used to fit these points. The quantum reactive scattering dynamics calculations taking into account the Coriolis coupling (CC) were carried out on the new potential energy surface over a range of collision energies (0.03-1.0 eV). The reaction probabilities and integral cross sections for the title reaction were calculated. The significance of including the CC quantum scattering calculation has been revealed by the comparison between the CC and the centrifugal sudden approximation calculation. The calculated cross section is in agreement with the experimental result at collision energy 1.0 eV.

Classical trajectory study of the formation of XeH+ and XeCl+ in the Xe++HCl collision

The collision-induced reaction of Xe+ with HCl has been studied by use of classical dynamics procedures at collision energies 2-20 eV using empirical potential parameters. The principal reaction pathway on the potential energy surface is the formation of XeH+ with the maximum reaction cross section, 1.2 A2, occurring at E=9 eV. At lower energies, the cross section for the charge transfer process Xe++HCl-->Xe+HCl+ is comparable to that for XeH+ formation, but at higher energies, it is larger by a factor of 2. The cross section of the XeCl+ formation is an order of magnitude smaller than that of XeH+. For both XeH+ and XeCl+ formations, the reaction threshold is approximately 2 eV. The XeH+ formation takes place immediately following the turning point in a direct-mode mechanism, whereas an indirect-mode mechanism operates in the formation of XeCl+. Both XeH+ and XeCl+ formations come mainly from the perpendicular configuration, Xe+...HCl, at the turning point. Product vibrational excitation is found to be strong in both XeH+ and XeCl+.