How a collision complex forgets its origin: H3+

Abstract

By means of classical trajectory calculations we investigate how a collision complex ‘forgets’ its origin. Our specific example is the collision of H⁺ with H₂, and isotopic variants of this reaction. The process of loosing the correlation between input and output parameters can be considered as a generalization of intramolecular vibrational relaxation. Indicators for the time to ‘forget’, which we call the induction time, are derived from average intramolecular distances during the collision, and from angular distributions and branching rations after the collision. Induction times are determined as a function of translational, vibrational and rotational initial energy supply, and, in some cases, total angular momentum and masses.