Near-threshold continuum structure and the dissociation energies of H2, HD, and D2

Bond dissociation energy of N2 measured by state-to-state resolved threshold fragment yield spectra

The precise determination of the bond dissociation energy of N2 is crucial for thermochemistry database and theoretical calculations. However, there has been ongoing debate regarding its exact value. In this study, we used the velocity map imaging method combined with an extreme ultraviolet laser to measure the threshold fragment yield (TFY) spectra of N2 in the N(2D) + N(2D) photodissociation channels. By integrating the signals within a small circular area on the fragment velocity map images, we were able to obtain TFY spectra at nine different dissociation thresholds. These spectra are rotational state-resolved for the N2(J″) molecules and spin-orbit state-resolved for the dissociation channels involving N(2D) fragments. By employing the Wigner threshold law to simulate the TFY spectra and conducting statistical analysis on the comprehensive dataset, we determined the N2 bond dissociation energy to be 78 691.09 ± 0.15 cm-1. This work now places N2 among the few diatomic molecules with bond dissociation energies measured at sub-wavenumber precision.

Precision spectroscopy of molecular hydrogen

Precision measurements on the hydrogen molecule are of fundamental importance in understanding molecular theory. Comparison of accurate experimental data and theoretical results are used to test the quantum electrodynamics theory and determine physical constants used in the calculation. We review recent advances and perspectives in the precision spectroscopy of molecular hydrogen, representing state-of-the-art molecular spectroscopy methods and cutting-edge high-precision calculations.

Accurate Adiabatic and Diabatic Potential Energy Surfaces for the Reaction of He + H2

The accurate adiabatic and diabatic potential energy surfaces, which are for the two lowest states of He + H₂, are presented in this study. The Molpro 2012 software package is used, and the large basis sets (aug-cc-pV5Z) are selected. The high-level MCSCF/MRCI method is employed to calculate the adiabatic potential energy points of the title reaction system. The triatomic reaction system is described by Jacobi coordinates, and the adiabatic potential energy surfaces are fitted accurately using the B-spline method. The equilibrium structures and electronic energies for the H₂ are provided, and the corresponding different levels of vibrational energies of the ground state are deduced. To better express the diabatic process of the whole reaction, avoid crossing points being calculated and conical intersection also being optimized. Meanwhile, the diabatic potential energy surfaces of the reaction process are constructed. This study will be helpful for the analysis of histopathology and for the study in biological and medical mechanisms.

Benchmarking Theory with an Improved Measurement of the Ionization and Dissociation Energies of H_{2}

The dissociation energy of H_{2} represents a benchmark quantity to test the accuracy of first-principles calculations. We present a new measurement of the energy interval between the EF ^{1}Σ_{g}^{+}(v=0,N=1) state and the 54p1_{1} Rydberg state of H_{2}. When combined with previously determined intervals, this new measurement leads to an improved value of the dissociation energy D_{0}^{N=1} of ortho-H_{2} that has, for the first time, reached a level of uncertainty that is 3 times smaller than the contribution of about 1 MHz resulting from the finite size of the proton. The new result of 35 999.582 834(11)  cm^{-1} is in remarkable agreement with the theoretical result of 35 999.582 820(26)  cm^{-1} obtained in calculations including high-order relativistic and quantum-electrodynamics corrections, as reported in the following Letter [M. Puchalski, J. Komasa, P. Czachorowski, and K. Pachucki, Phys. Rev. Lett. 122, 103003 (2019)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.122.103003]. This agreement resolves a recent discrepancy between experiment and theory that had hindered a possible use of the dissociation energy of H_{2} in the context of the current controversy on the charge radius of the proton.

Accurate potential energy surfaces for the first two lowest electronic states of the Li (2p) + H2 reaction

The accuracy of three-dimensional adiabatic and diabatic potential energy surfaces is calculated using ab initio methods and is numerically fitted for the two lowest electronic states 1 and 2²A′ of the LiH₂ system, which are very important for the Li (2p) + H₂ reaction. The finite difference method is performed to generate the mixing angles, which are used to educe the diabatic potential from the adiabatic potential. The accurate conical intersection (CI) is studied in this work with three different basis sets. The energy of the conical intersection is slightly lower (nearly 0.12 eV) than that of the perpendicular intermediate on the first excited state. By analyzing the potential energy surfaces in this work we can suggest that the most possible reaction pathway for the title reaction is Li (2p) + H₂ → LiH₂ (2²A′) (C_2v) → CI → LiH₂ (1²A′) (C_2v) → LiH⋯H → LiH (X¹∑_g⁺) + H. The conical intersection and (2²A′) intermediate may play a vital role in the title reaction.

Accurate diabatic potential energy surfaces for the Li (2p) + H₂ → LiH (X) + H reaction are produced.

Oscillation of Branching Ratios Between the D(2s)+D(1s) and the D(2p)+D(1s) Channels in Direct Photodissociation of D_{2}

The direct photodissociation of D_{2} at excitation energies above 14.76 eV occurs via two channels, D(2s)+D(1s) and D(2p)+D(1s). The branching ratios between the two have been measured from the dissociation threshold to 3200 cm^{-1} above it, and it is found that they show cosine oscillations as a function of the fragment wave vector magnitudes. The oscillation is due to an interference effect and can be simulated using the phase difference between the wave functions of the two channels, analogous to Young's double-slit experiment. By fitting the measured branching ratios, we have determined the depths and widths of the effective spherical potential wells related to the two channels, which are in agreement with the effective depths and widths of the ab initio interaction potentials. The results of this Letter illustrate the importance of the relative phase between the fragments in controlling the branching ratios of the photodissociation channels.

An Evaluation of Gas Phase Enthalpies of Formation for Hydrogen-Oxygen (HxOy) Species

We have compiled gas phase enthalpies of formation for nine hydrogen-oxygen species (HxOy) and selected recommended values for H, O, OH, H2O, HO2, H2O2, O3, HO3, and H2O3. The compilation consists of values derived from experimental measurements, quantum chemical calculations, and prior evaluations. This work updates the recommended values in the NIST-JANAF (1985) and Gurvich et al. (1989) thermochemical tables for seven species. For two species, HO3 and H2O3 (important in atmospheric chemistry) and not found in prior thermochemical evaluations, we also provide supplementary data consisting of molecular geometries, vibrational frequencies, and torsional potentials which can be used to compute thermochemical functions. For all species, we also provide supplementary data consisting of zero point energies, vibrational frequencies, and ion reaction energetics.

Dissociation energies of molecular hydrogen and the hydrogen molecular ion

We have obtained improved values for the dissociation energies of molecular hydrogen and its ion by using a high-resolution pulse-amplified laser to probe the second dissociation limit. The onset of the vibrational continuum is observed by state-selective detection of the atomic products of dissociation, and several auxiliary measurements link the results to the ground state. The dissociation energies are accurate to 0.010-0.026 cm(-1), improving previous measurements by a factor of 3-7. Agreement with ab initio calculations is good for H2, D2, and their ions, but not for HD and HD+.

Simple model of capillary condensation in cylindrical pores

A simple model based on an approximation of the dropletlike model is formulated for studying adsorption of fluids into cylindrical pores. This model yields a nearly universal description of capillary condensation transitions for noble gases confined by alkali metals. The system's thermodynamical behavior is predicted from the values of two dimensionless parameters: D* (the reduced asymptotic strength of the fluid-adsorber interaction, a function of temperature) and R* (the reduced radius of the pore). The phenomenon of hysteresis inherently related to capillary condensation is discussed. The connection to a previously proposed universality for cylindrical pores is also established.

Simple model of capillary condensation in porous media

We employ a simple model to describe the phase behavior of 4He and Ar in a hypothetical porous material consisting of a regular array of infinitely long, solid, parallel cylinders. We find that high porosity geometries exhibit two transitions: from vapor to film and from film to capillary condensed liquid. At low porosity, the film is replaced by a "necking" configuration, and for a range of intermediate porosity there are three transitions: from vapor to film, from film to necking and from necking to a capillary condensed phase.

Transition from stick-slip to smooth sliding: an earthquakelike model

We present a detailed study of an earthquakelike model that exhibits a "transition" from stick-slip motion to smooth sliding at a velocity of the order of those observed in experiments. This contrasts with the many previous microscopic models in which the transition velocity is many orders of magnitude too large. The results show that experimentally observed smooth sliding at the macroscopic scale must correspond to microscopic-scale stick-slip motion.

Triple-point wetting on rough substrates

The influence of substrate roughness on the wetting scenario of adsorbed van der Waals films is investigated by theory and experiment. Calculating the bending free energy penalty of a solid sheet picking up the substrate roughness, we show that a finite roughness always leads to triple-point wetting reducing the widths of the adsorbed solid films considerably as compared to that of smooth substrates. Testing the theory against our experimental data for molecular hydrogen adsorbed on gold, we find quantitative agreement.

Friction in a solid lubricant film

Molecular-dynamics study of a thin (one to five layers) lubricant film between two substrates in moving contact are performed using Langevin equations with an external damping coefficient depending on distance and velocity of atoms relative the substrates, motivated by microscopic configurations. They show that the minimal friction coefficient is obtained for the solid-sliding regime. A detailed analysis of the results, the comparison with other microscopic modeling approaches of friction, and the evaluation of quantities that can be compared to experiments, such as the velocity of the transition from stick slip to smooth sliding, are used to discuss the relevance of the microscopic simulations of friction.

Locked-to-running transition in the two-dimensional underdamped driven Frenkel-Kontorova model

We study the nonlinear dc response of a two-dimensional underdamped system of interacting atoms subject to an isotropic periodic external potential with triangular symmetry. We consider various values of the effective elastic constant of the system, two different atomic interaction potentials, and different concentrations of atoms. In the case of a closely packed layer, when its structure is commensurate with the substrate, there is a locked-to-running transition as a function of the driving force, whose mechanism depends on the effective elastic constant. For a low elastic constant, where the layer is weakly coupled, the transition is achieved via the creation of an avalanche of moving particles that leaves a depleted region in its wake. On increasing the effective elastic constant the depleted region becomes less marked and there is a crossover to a scenario in which an island of moving particles nucleates the transition. In the case of a partially filled atomic layer, several dynamical phase transitions between states with different atomic mobility are observed. The mobility of atoms as a function of the external force can vary nonmonotonically with increasing force. For the case of a small external damping, the system can be trapped at a large force in an immobile metastable state, thus demonstrating a "fuse-safety device" on an atomic scale.

Transverse thermal depinning and nonlinear sliding friction of an adsorbed monolayer

We study the response of an adsorbed monolayer under a driving force as a model of sliding friction phenomena between two crystalline surfaces with a boundary lubrication layer. Using Langevin-dynamics simulation, we determine the nonlinear response in the direction transverse to a high symmetry direction along which the layer is already sliding. We find that below a finite transition temperature there exist a critical depinning force and hysteresis effects in the transverse response in the dynamical state when the adlayer is sliding smoothly along the longitudinal direction.

Driven kink in the frenkel-kontorova model

The dynamics of dc driven chain of harmonically interacting atoms in the external sinusoidal potential (the Frenkel-Kontorova model) is studied. It is shown that in the underdamped case the motion of the topological soliton (kink) becomes unstable at a high velocity due to excitation of the localized intrinsic kink mode (the discrete shape mode, or discrete breather) in the kink tail. When the amplitude of the breather's oscillation becomes large enough, it decays into a kink-antikink pair. The subsequent collision of newly created kink and antikink leads to a sharp transition to the running state, where all atoms of the chain slide over the external potential almost freely.

Nature of metal-ceramic adhesion: computational experiments with Co on TiC

By means of first-principles computational experiments, the microscopic mechanism of metal-carbide adhesion is revealed. Density-functional-theory results for the Co /TiC(001) interface show the interface bonding to be dominated by Co-C bonds. The effective number of bonds is controlled by an interplay between lattice mismatch and relaxation effects. The particular strength of the Co-C bond is explained in terms of interface-induced features of the electronic states, in particular, a novel metal-modified covalent bond. The calculated adhesion strength agrees well with results of wetting experiments.

Calculated equation of state of al, cu, ta, mo, and W to 1000 GPa

Calculated Hugoniots and 293-K isotherms at pressures up to 1 TPa (10 Mbar) for the five reference metals Al, Cu, Ta, Mo, and W are reported using the classical mean-field approach where both the cold and the thermal parts of the Helmholtz free energy are derived entirely from the 0-K total energies and electronic density of states calculated with the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave method within the generalized gradient approximation to exchange correlational functional. Our approach permits efficient computation and invokes no empirical parameters. Both the experimental Hugoniots and 293-K isotherms are reproduced excellently.

Friction and noise-induced coherent structures in boundary lubrication

We examine the effect of stick-slip boundary conditions on the friction generated by a molecularly thin layer of a liquid lubricant separating two plates. For one-dimensional compressible flows, noise-induced coherent dissipative structures on a micron scale are generated due to cooperation between the external drive and the thermal noise. As a function of the thermal noise these structures show a peak in their amplitudes similar to stochastic resonance. At low velocities a reduction in friction with increasing thermal noise is observed.

Threshold criterion for wetting at the triple point

Grand canonical simulations are used to calculate adsorption isotherms of various classical gases on alkali metal and Mg surfaces. Ab initio adsorption potentials and Lennard-Jones gas-gas interactions are used. Depending on the system, the resulting behavior can be nonwetting for all temperatures studied, complete wetting, or (in the intermediate case) exhibit a wetting transition. An unusual variety of wetting transitions at the triple point is found in the case of a specific adsorption potential of intermediate strength. The general threshold for wetting near the triple point is found to be close to that predicted with a heuristic model of Cheng et al. This same conclusion was drawn in a recent experimental and simulation study of Ar on CO2 by Mistura et al. These results imply that a dimensionless wetting parameter w is useful for predicting whether wetting behavior is present at and above the triple temperature. The nonwetting/wetting crossover value found here is w approximately 3.3.