Statistical Theory of Chemical Kinetics : Application to Neutral-Atom—Molecule Reactions

Abstract

Several processes involving uncharged species are discussed in terms of a statistical theory of strong‐coupling collisions. Specifically, we study the Mies—Shuler—Zwanzig model for vibrational excitation of a diatomic by impulsive collisions; the reactions of K with HBr, Cl with KH, Cl with Na₂, and the subsequent reaction of vibrationally excited NaCl with Na; and the breakup of electronically excited H₂O to H atom and OH (²Σ⁺) radical (as an example of a bad failure of the statistical model). Except in the last case, rotational and vibrational distributions in the product diatomics predicted by the statistical theory agree well with experiment (where the experiment has been done); the total reactive cross sections, although a little high, compare reasonably well with the measured cross sections.