Resonance Regge poles and the state-to-state F + H2 reaction: QP decomposition, parametrized S matrix, and semiclassical complex angular momentum analysis of the angular scattering

A single resonance Regge pole dominates the forward-angle scattering of the state-to-state F + H2 → FH + H reaction at Etrans = 62.09 meV

The aim of the present paper is to bring clarity, through simplicity, to the important and long-standing problem: does a resonance contribute to the forward-angle scattering of the F + H2 reaction? We reduce the problem to its essentials and present a well-defined, yet rigorous and unambiguous, investigation of structure in the differential cross sections (DCSs) of the following three state-to-state reactions at a translational energy of 62.09 meV: F + H2(vi = 0, ji = 0, mi = 0) → FH(vf = 3, jf = 0, 1, 2, mf = 0) + H, where vi, ji, mi and vf, jf, mf are the initial and final vibrational, rotational and helicity quantum numbers respectively. Firstly, we carry out quantum-scattering calculations for the Fu-Xu-Zhang potential energy surface, obtaining accurate numerical scattering matrix elements for indistinguishable H2. The calculations use a time-independent method, with hyperspherical coordinates and an enhanced Numerov method. Secondly, the following theoretical techniques are employed to analyse structures in the DCSs: (a) full and Nearside-Farside (NF) partial wave series (PWS) and local angular momentum theory, including resummations of the full PWS up to second order. (b) The recently introduced "CoroGlo" test, which lets us distinguish between glory and corona scattering at forward angles for a Legendre PWS. (c) Six asymptotic (semiclassical) forward-angle glory theories and three asymptotic farside rainbow theories, valid for rainbows at sideward-scattering angles. (d) Complex angular momentum (CAM) theories of forward and backward scattering, with the Regge pole positions and residues computed by Thiele rational interpolation. Thirdly, our conclusions for the three PWS DCSs are: (a) the forward-angle peaks arise from glory scattering. (b) A broad (hidden) farside rainbow is present at sideward angles. (c) A single Regge pole contributes to the DCS across the whole angular range, being most prominent at forward angles. This proves that a resonance contributes to the DCSs for the three transitions. (d) The diffraction oscillations in the DCSs arise from NF interference, in particular, interference between the Regge pole and direct subamplitudes.

Application of the Partial Wave QP Decomposition to the Angular Scattering of the State-to-State F + H2 Reaction at Etrans = 0.04088 eV

We analyze the physical content of structures present in the product differential cross sections (DCSs) of the benchmark F + H₂(v_i, j_i, m_i) → FH(v_f, j_f, m_f) + H reaction, where v, j, and m are the vibrational, rotational, and helicity quantum numbers, respectively, for the initial and final states. We analyze three state-to-state transitions: 000 → 300, 000 → 310, and 000 → 320. Accurate quantum S matrix elements are employed at a translational energy of 0.04088 eV for the Fu-Xu-Zhang potential energy surface. Our analysis of the DCSs uses a new technique called the QP decomposition; it makes an exact decomposition of the scattering (S) matrix into a Q part and a P part. The P part consists of a partial wave (PW) sum of Regge poles (involving both positions and residues) together with a rapidly oscillating quadratic phase. The Q part of the decomposition is then constructed exactly by subtracting the rapidly oscillating phase and the PW Regge pole sum from the input PW S matrix. In practice, it is convenient to make a small modification, which we call the QmodPmod decomposition. All our calculations use only integer values of the total angular momentum quantum number, namely, J = 0, 1, 2,... We find that the QmodPmod decomposition is successful and physically meaningful, in that the properties of Qmod matrix are simpler than those of the input S matrix. We then carry out a QmodPmod analysis of the DCSs, which provides novel insights into interference structures present in the angular scattering. In particular, we find for all three reactions that Regge resonances contribute across the whole angular range of the DCSs, being particularly pronounced at small angles. The techniques of nearside-farside decomposition and local angular momentum analysis for resummed Legendre PW series are also employed to provide additional insights into the angular scattering.

Rainbows, supernumerary rainbows and interference effects in the angular scattering of chemical reactions: an investigation using Heisenberg's S matrix programme

Rainbow and supernumerary rainbow in the angular scattering of a state-to-state chemical reaction.

A review of dynamical resonances in A + BC chemical reactions

The concept of the transition state has played an important role in the field of chemical kinetics and reaction dynamics. Reactive resonances in the transition-state region can dramatically enhance the reaction probability; thus investigation of the reactive resonances has attracted great attention from chemical physicists for many decades. In this review, we mainly focus on the recent progress made in probing the elusive resonance phenomenon in the simple A  +  BC reaction and understanding its nature, especially in the benchmark F/Cl  +  H₂ and their isotopic variants. The signatures of reactive resonances in the integral cross section, differential cross section (DCS), forward- and backward-scattered DCS, and anion photodetachment spectroscopy are comprehensively presented in individual prototype reactions. The dynamical origins of reactive resonances are also discussed in this review, based on information on the wave function in the transition-state region obtained by time-dependent quantum wave-packet calculations.

State-to-State F + H2 Reaction at Etrans = 0.04088 eV: QP Decomposition, Parametrized S Matrix Incorporating Regge Poles, and Uniform Asymptotic Complex Angular Momentum Analysis of the Angular Scattering

We report two new contributions for understanding the quantum dynamics of the benchmark state-to-state reaction, F + H2(vi, ji, mi) → FH(vf, jf, mf) + H, where (vi, ji, mi) and (vf, jf, mf) are the initial and final vibrational, rotational, and helicity quantum numbers, respectively. We analyze product differential cross sections (DCSs) for the transitions, 000 → 300, 000 → 310, and 000 → 320, at a translational energy of 0.04088 eV using the potential energy surface of Fu-Xu-Zhang. The two new contributions are as follows: (1) We exploit the recently introduced QP decomposition of J. N. L. Connor [ J. Chem. Phys . 2013 , 138 , 124310 ] to transform numerical partial-wave scattering (S) matrix elements for the three transitions into parametrized (analytic) formulas, in which all terms in the three parametrized S matrices have a direct physical interpretation. In particular, they contain the positions and residues of Regge poles in the first quadrant of the complex angular momentum (CAM) plane. We obtain very close agreement between the values of the parametrized and numerical S matrix elements. (2) We then apply a uniform asymptotic Watson/CAM theory, which allows a Regge pole to be close to a saddle point. It uses the parametrized S matrices and is applied to the partial wave series (PWS) representation for the scattering amplitude to understand structure in a DCS in terms of three contributing subamplitudes. We prove using this powerful CAM theory that resonance Regge poles contribute to the small-angle scattering in the DCSs for all three transitions, with the oscillations at larger angles arising from nearside-farside interference. We obtain very good agreement between the uniform asymptotic Watson/CAM DCSs and the corresponding PWS DCSs, except for angles close to the forward and backward directions, where (as expected) the Watson/CAM formulas become nonuniform.

Angular Scattering Dynamics of the CH4 + Cl → CH3 + HCl Reaction Using Nearside-Farside, Local Angular Momentum, and Resummation Theories

The differential cross section (DCS) for the CH4 + Cl → CH3 + HCl reaction is studied at six total energies where all of the species are in their ground states. The scattering (S) matrix elements have been calculated by the rotating line umbrella method for a dual-level ab initio analytic potential energy surface. We make the first application to this reaction of nearside-farside (NF) and local angular momentum (LAM) techniques, including resummation orders (r) of 0, 1, 2, and 3 for the partial-wave series representation of the full scattering amplitude. We find that resummation usually cleans the NF r = 0 DCSs of unphysical oscillations, especially at small angles. This cleaning effect is typically most pronounced when changing from no resummation (r = 0) to r = 1; further resummations from r = 1 to r = 2 and from r = 2 to r = 3 have smaller effects. The NF DCS analyses show that the reaction is N-dominated at sideward and large angles, whereas at small angles there are oscillations caused by NF interference. The NF LAM analysis provides consistent and complementary information, in particular for the total angular momenta that contribute to the reaction at different scattering angles. The NF analyses also provide justification for simpler N-dominant dynamical theories such as the semiclassical optical model, which provides an explanation for the distorted mirror image effect for the moduli of the S matrix elements and the DCSs, as well as the use of a hard-sphere DCS over limited angular ranges.

Complex angular momentum theory of state-to-state integral cross sections: resonance effects in the F + HD → HF(v′ = 3) + D reaction

State-to-state reactive integral cross sections (ICSs) are often affected by quantum mechanical resonances, especially in the neighborhood of a reactive threshold.

The 6Hankel asymptotic approximation for the uniform description of rainbows and glories in the angular scattering of state-to-state chemical reactions: derivation, properties and applications

The 6Hankel approximation agrees very closely with a partial wave series calculation for the forward angular scattering.