Inelastic scattering is a fundamental collisional process that plays an important role in many areas of chemistry, and its detailed study can provide valuable insight into more complex chemical systems. Here, we report the measurement of differential cross-sections for the rotationally inelastic scattering of NO(X2Π1/2, v=0, j=0.5, f) by Ar at a collision energy of 530 cm(-1) in unprecedented detail, with full Λ-doublet (hence total NO parity) resolution in both the initial and final rotational quantum states. The observed differential cross-sections depend sensitively on the change in total NO parity on collision. Differential cross-sections for total parity-conserving and changing collisions have distinct, novel quantum-mechanical interference structures, reflecting different sensitivities to specific homonuclear and heteronuclear terms in the interaction potential. The experimental data agree remarkably well with rigorous quantum-mechanical scattering calculations, and reveal the role played by total parity in acting as a potential energy landscape filter.

We present the first astronomical detection of a diatomic negative ion, the cyanide anion CN − , and quantum mechanical calculations of the excitation of this anion by means of collisions with para-H 2 . The anion CN − is identified by observing the J = 2−1 and J = 3−2 rotational transitions in the C-star envelope IRC +10216 with the IRAM 30-m telescope. The U-shaped line profiles indicate that CN − , like the large anion C 6 H − , is formed in the outer regions of the envelope. Chemical and excitation model calculations suggest that this species forms from the reaction of large carbon anions with N atoms, rather than from the radiative attachment of an electron to CN, as is the case for large molecular anions. The unexpectedly high abundance derived for CN − , 0.25% relative to CN, indicates that its detection in other astronomical sources is likely. A parallel search for the small anion C 2 H − remains inconclusive, despite the previous tentative identification of the J = 1−0 rotational transition. The abundance of C 2 H − in IRC +10216 is found to be vanishingly small, <0.0014% relative to C 2 H.

Quantum phenomena in the translational motion of reactants, which are usually negligible at room temperature, can dominate reaction dynamics at low temperatures. In such cold conditions, even the weak centrifugal force is enough to create a potential barrier that keeps reactants separated. However, reactions may still proceed through tunnelling because, at low temperatures, wave-like properties become important. At certain de Broglie wavelengths, the colliding particles can become trapped in long-lived metastable scattering states, leading to sharp increases in the total reaction rate. Here, we show that these metastable states are responsible for a dramatic, order-of-magnitude-strong, quantum kinetic isotope effect by measuring the absolute Penning ionization reaction rates between hydrogen isotopologues and metastable helium down to 0.01 K. We demonstrate that measurements of a single isotope are insufficient to constrain ab initio calculations, making the kinetic isotope effect in the cold regime necessary to remove ambiguity among possible potential energy surfaces.

The first measurements of differential inelastic collision cross sections of fully state-selected NO ͑j =1/2, ⍀ =1/2, ⑀ =−1͒ with He are presented. Full state selection is achieved by a 2 m long hexapole, which allows for a systematic study of the effect of parity conservation and breaking on the differential cross section. The collisionally excited NO molecules are detected using a resonant ͑1+1Ј͒ REMPI ionization scheme in combination with the velocity-mapped, ion-imaging technique. The current experimental configuration minimizes the contribution of noncolliding NO molecules in other rotational states j , ⍀ , ⑀ -that contaminates images-and allows for study of the collision process at an unprecedented level of detail. A simple method to correct ion images for collision-induced alignment is presented as well and its performance is demonstrated. The present results show a significant difference between differential cross sections for scattering into the upper and lower component of the ⌳-doublet of NO. This result cannot be due to the energy splitting between these components.

The prospects of sympathetic cooling of polar molecules with magnetically co-trapped alkalimetal atoms are generally considered poor due to strongly anisotropic atom-molecule interactions leading to large spin relaxation rates. Using rigorous quantum scattering calculations based on ab initio interaction potentials, we show that inelastic spin relaxation in low-temperature collisions of CaH( 2 Σ) molecules with Li and Mg atoms occurs at a slow rate despite the strongly anisotropic interactions. This unexpected result, which we rationalize using multichannel quantum defect theory, opens up the possibility of sympathetic cooling of polar 2 Σ molecules with alkali-metal and alkalineearth atoms in a magnetic trap.

Zeeman quantum beat spectroscopy has been used to measure the 300 K rate constants for the angular momentum depolarization of OH(A (2)Sigma(+)) in the presence of Ar. We show that the beat amplitude at short times, in the absence of collisions, is well described by previously developed line strength theory for (1+1) laser induced fluorescence. The subsequent pressure dependent decay of the beat amplitude is used to extract depolarization rate constants and estimates of collisional depolarization cross sections. Depolarization accompanies both inelastic collisions, giving rise to rotational energy transfer, and elastic collisions, which change m(j) but conserve j. Previous experimental studies, as well as classical theory, suggest that elastic scattering contributes around 20% to the observed total depolarization rate at low j. Simulation of the experimental beat amplitudes, using theoretical calculations presented in the preceding paper, reveals that depolarization of OH(A) by Ar has a rate constant comparable to, if not larger than, that for energy transfer. This is consistent with a significant tilting or realignment of j(') away from j on collision. The experimental data are used to provide a detailed test of quantum mechanical and quasiclassical trajectory scattering calculations performed on a recently developed ab initio potential energy surface of Kłos et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 129, 054301 (2008)]. The calculations and simulations account well for the observed cross sections at high N, but underestimate the experimental results by between 10% and 20% at low N, possibly due to remaining inaccuracies in the potential energy surface or perhaps to limitations in the dynamical approximations made, particularly the freezing of the OH(A) bond.

Cold molecules promise to reveal a rich set of novel collision dynamics in the low-energy regime. By combining for the first time the techniques of Stark deceleration, magnetic trapping, and cryogenic buffer gas cooling, we present the first experimental observation of cold collisions between two different species of state-selected neutral polar molecules. This has enabled an absolute measurement of the total trap loss cross sections between OH and ND(3) at a mean collision energy of 3.6 cm(-1) (5 K). Due to the dipolar interaction, the total cross section increases upon application of an external polarizing electric field. Cross sections computed from ab initio potential energy surfaces are in agreement with the measured value at zero external electric field. The theory presented here represents the first such analysis of collisions between a (2)Π radical and a closed-shell polyatomic molecule.

We present an experimental and theoretical study of atom-molecule collisions in a mixture of cold, trapped N atoms and NH molecules at a temperature of ∼600  mK. We measure a small N+NH trap loss rate coefficient of k(loss)(N+NH)=9(5)(3)×10(-13)  cm(3) s(-1). Accurate quantum scattering calculations based on ab initio interaction potentials are in agreement with experiment and indicate the magnetic dipole interaction to be the dominant loss mechanism. Our theory further indicates the ratio of N+NH elastic-to-inelastic collisions remains large (>100) into the mK regime.