Introducing MPEC: Massively parallel electron correlation.

We have developed a new program for carrying out improved internally contracted Multi-reference Configuration Interaction Singles and Doubles (i2cMRCISD) calculations. It is designed from the ground up to be used on distributed memory parallel computers. Tests show good scaling properties with the number of cores per node and the number nodes. This program features Gaussian basis sets with ℓ > 6; scalar special relativity via the spin-free method; convergence to C∞v, D∞v, or spherical electronic states; special code to determine Rydberg orbitals; both uncontracted and contracted MRCISD wavefunctions; one and two electron properties, including full spin-orbit matrix elements with the Breit interaction; analytic calculation of Born-Oppenheimer diagonal correction for multi-configuration Hartree-Fock wavefunctions; and analytic calculation of second order Born-Oppenheimer corrections for Hartree-Fock wavefunctions. The program can be obtained from software.nasa.gov.

Comprehensive Study of HCN: Potential Energy Surfaces, State-to-State Kinetics, and Master Equation Analysis.

Understanding the kinetics of the HCN system is critical to several disciplines in science and engineering, including interstellar chemistry, atmospheric reentry, and combustion, to name a few. This paper constructs a rovibrational state-specific kinetic mechanism for the HCN system, leveraging electronic structure calculations, classical scattering dynamics, and state-to-state kinetics. To this aim, three accurate potential energy surfaces (PESs), 1A', 3A', and 3A″, are constructed using multireference configuration interaction (MRCI) calculations for a comprehensive arrangement of the nuclei. Quasi-classical scattering calculations provide elementary reaction rate constants resulting from the interaction between the CN, CH, and NH molecules with H, N, and C atoms, respectively. The rovibrational collisional model developed comprises 50 million bound-bound and free-bound collisional processes. This model is used to study the dynamics of energy transfer and dissociation in an isochoric and isothermal chemical reactor via the solution of the master equation for a wide temperature range from 1000 to 10,000 K. This study unravels the dynamics of dissociation of the molecules in the HCN system, which the PESs primarily control via the formation of short-lived intermediates that shortcut the dissociation pathway. The exchange processes in CH and NH enhance the dissociation by over 80%. The importance of exchange processes is also highlighted in comparing the quasi-steady state and thermal dissociation rates with state-of-the-art rate models and experimental fits.

Ames-2021 CO2 Dipole Moment Surface and IR Line Lists: Toward 0.1% Uncertainty for CO2 IR Intensities.

A highly accurate CO2 ab initio dipole moment surface (DMS), Ames-2021, is reported along with 12C16O2 infrared (IR) intensity comparisons approaching a 1-4‰ level of agreement and uncertainty. The Ames-2021 DMS was accurately fitted from CCSD(T) finite-field dipoles computed with the aug-cc-pVXZ (X = T, Q, 5) basis for C atom and the d-aug-cc-pVXZ (X = T, Q, 5) basis for O atoms, and extrapolated to the one particle basis set limit. Fitting σrms is 3.8 × 10-7 au for 4443 geometries below 15 000 cm-1. The corresponding IR intensity, SAmes-2021, are computed using the Ames-2 potential energy surface (PES), which is the best PES available for CO2. Compared to high accuracy IR studies for 2001i-00001 and 3001i-00001 bands, SAmes-2021 matches NIST experiment-based intensities [SNIST-HIT16 or SHIT20] to -1.0 ± 1.3‰, or matches DLR experiment-based intensities [SDLR-HIT16/UCL/Ames] to 1.9 ± 3.7‰. This indicates the systematic deviations and uncertainties have been significantly reduced in SAmes-2021. The SUCL2015 (or SHITRAN2016) have larger deviations (vs SDLR) and uncertainties (vs SDLR, SNIST) which are attributed to the less accurate Ames-1 PES adopted in UCL-296 line list calculation. The SAmes-2021 intensity of 12C16O2 and 13C16O2 is utilized to derive new absolute 13C/12C ratios for Vienna PeeDee Belemnite (VPDB) with uncertainty reduced by 1/3 or 2/3. Further evaluation of SAmes-2021 intensities are carried out on those CO2 bands discussed in the HITRAN2020 update paper. Consistent improvements and better accuracies are found in band-by-band analysis, except for those bands strongly affected by Coriolis couplings, or very weak bands measured with relatively larger experimental uncertainties. The Ames-2021 296 K IR line lists are generated for 13 CO2 isotopologues, with 18 000 cm-1 and S296 K > 1 × 10-31 cm/molecule cutoff and then combined with CDSD line positions (except 14C16O2). The Ames-2021 DMS and 296 K IR line lists represent a major improvement over previous CO2 theoretical IR intensity studies, including Ames-2016, UCL-296, and recent UCL DMS 2021 update. A real 1 permille level of agreement and uncertainty will definitely require both more accurate PES and more accurate DMS.

What It Takes to Compute Highly Accurate Rovibrational Line Lists for Use in Astrochemistry.

ConspectusWe review the Best Theory + Reliable High-Resolution Experiment (BTRHE) strategy for obtaining highly accurate molecular rovibrational line lists with InfraRed (IR) intensities. The need for highly accurate molecular rovibrational line lists is twofold: (a) assignment of the many rovibrational lines for common stable molecules especially those that exhibit a large amplitude motion, such as NH3, or have a high density of states such as SO2; and (b) characterization of the atmospheres of exoplanets, which will be one of the main areas of research in astronomy in the coming decades. The first motivation arises due to the need to eliminate lines due to common molecules in an astronomical observation in order to identify lines from new molecules, while the second motivation arises due to the need to obtain accurate molecular opacities in order to characterize the atmosphere of an exoplanet. The BTRHE strategy first consists of using high-quality ab initio quantum-chemical methods to obtain a global potential energy surface (PES) and dipole moment surface (DMS) that contains the proper physics. The global PES is then refined using a subset of the reliable high-resolution experimental data. The refined PES then gives energy-level predictions to an accuracy similar to the reproduction accuracy of the experimental data used in the refinement step in the interpolation region (i.e., within the range of the experimental data used in the refinement step). The accuracy of the energy levels will slowly degrade as they are extrapolated to spectral regions beyond the high-resolution experimental data used in the refinement step. However, because the degradation is slow, the predicted energy levels can be used to assign new high-resolution experiments, and the data from these can then be used in a subsequent refinement step. In this way, the global PES eventually can yield highly accurate energy levels for all desired spectral regions including to very high energies and high J values. We show that IR intensities computed with the BTRHE rovibrational wave functions and the DMS can be very accurate provided one has minimized the fitting error of the DMS and tested the completeness of the DMS. Some examples of our work on NH3, CO2, and SO2 are given to highlight the usefulness of the BTRHE strategy and to provide ideas on how to further improve its predictive power in the future. In particular, it is shown how successive refinement steps, once new high-resolution data are available, can lead to PESs that yield highly accurate transition energies to larger spectral regions. The importance of including nonadiabatic corrections to reduce the J-dependence of errors for H-containing molecules is shown with work on NH3. Another very important aspect of the BTRHE approach is the consistency across isotopologues, which allows for highly accurate line lists for any isotopologue once one is obtained for the main isotopologue (which has more high-resolution data available for refinement).

Comparison of potential energy surfaces and computed rate coefficients for N2 dissociation.

Comparisons are made between potential energy surfaces (PES) for N2 + N and N2 + N2 collisions and between rate coefficients for N2 dissociation that were computed using the quasiclassical trajectory method (QCT) on these PESs. For N2 + N we compare the Laganà's empirical LEPS surface with one from NASA Ames Research Center based on ab initio quantum chemistry calculations. For N2 + N2 we compare two ab initio PESs (from NASA Ames and from the University of Minnesota). These use different methods for computing the ground state electronic energy for N4, but give similar results. Thermal N2 dissociation rate coefficients, for the 10,000K-30,000K temperature range, have been computed using each PES and the results are in excellent agreement. Quasi-stationary state (QSS) rate coefficients using both PESs have been computed at these temperatures using the Direct Molecular Simulation of Schwartzentruber and coworkers. The QSS rate coefficients are up to a factor of 5 lower than the thermal ones and the thermal and QSS values bracket the results of shock-tube experiments. We conclude that the combination of ab initio quantum chemistry PESs and QCT calculations provides an attractive approach for the determination of accurate high-temperature rate coefficients for use in aerothermodynamics modeling.

The low-lying electronic states of MgO.

The low-lying singlet and triplet states of MgO have been studied using a SA-CASCF/IC-MRCI approach using the aug-cc-pV5Z basis set. The spectroscopic constants (r e , w e , and T e ) are in good agreement with the available experimental data. The computed lifetime for the B state is in excellent agreement with two of the three experimental results. The d state lifetime is in good agreement with experiment, while the computed D state lifetime is about twice as long as experiment.

A unified derivation of Hamiltonian and optical transition matrix elements for open shell diatomic and polyatomic molecules using transformation tools of modern quantum mechanics.

In this work, we systematically derive the matrix elements of the nuclear rotation operators for open shell diatomic and polyatomic molecules in a parity adapted Hund's case (a) basis. Our expressions are valid for an arbitrary number of electrons and arbitrary electronic configurations. The common ad hoc sign changes of angular momentum operators are shown to be equivalent to a change in phase of basis functions. We show how to relate this basis to that required for scattering calculations. We also give the expressions for Einstein A coefficients for electric dipole, electric quadrupole, and magnetic dipole transitions.

Highly accurate potential energy surface, dipole moment surface, rovibrational energy levels, and infrared line list for ³²S¹6O2 up to 8000 cm⁻¹.

A purely ab initio potential energy surface (PES) was refined with selected (32)S(16)O2 HITRAN data. Compared to HITRAN, the root-mean-squares error (σ(RMS)) for all J = 0-80 rovibrational energy levels computed on the refined PES (denoted Ames-1) is 0.013 cm(-1). Combined with a CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pV(Q+d)Z dipole moment surface (DMS), an infrared (IR) line list (denoted Ames-296K) has been computed at 296 K and covers up to 8000 cm(-1). Compared to the HITRAN and CDMS databases, the intensity agreement for most vibrational bands is better than 85%-90%. Our predictions for (34)S(16)O2 band origins, higher energy (32)S(16)O2 band origins and missing (32)S(16)O2 IR bands have been verified by most recent experiments and available HITRAN data. We conclude that the Ames-1 PES is able to predict (32/34)S(16)O2 band origins below 5500 cm(-1) with 0.01-0.03 cm(-1) uncertainties, and the Ames-296K line list provides continuous, reliable and accurate IR simulations. The K(a)-dependence of both line position and line intensity errors is discussed. The line list will greatly facilitate SO2 IR spectral experimental analysis, as well as elimination of SO2 lines in high-resolution astronomical observations.

Limited rotational and rovibrational line lists computed with highly accurate quartic force fields and ab initio dipole surfaces.

In this work, computational procedures are employed to compute the rotational and rovibrational spectra and line lists for H2O, CO2, and SO2. Building on the established use of quartic force fields, MP2 and CCSD(T) Dipole Moment Surfaces (DMSs) are computed for each system of study in order to produce line intensities as well as the transition energies. The computed results exhibit a clear correlation to reference data available in the HITRAN database. Additionally, even though CCSD(T) DMSs produce more accurate intensities as compared to experiment, the use of MP2 DMSs results in reliable line lists that are still comparable to experiment. The use of the less computationally costly MP2 method is beneficial in the study of larger systems where use of CCSD(T) would be more costly.

Rovibrational internal energy transfer and dissociation of N2(1Σg+)-N(4S(u)) system in hypersonic flows.

A rovibrational collisional model is developed to study energy transfer and dissociation of N(2)((1)Σ(g)(+)) molecules interacting with N((4)S(u)) atoms in an ideal isochoric and isothermal chemical reactor. The system examined is a mixture of molecular nitrogen and a small amount of atomic nitrogen. This mixture, initially at room temperature, is heated by several thousands of degrees Kelvin, driving the system toward a strong non-equilibrium condition. The evolution of the population densities of each individual rovibrational level is explicitly determined via the numerical solution of the master equation for temperatures ranging from 5000 to 50,000 K. The reaction rate coefficients are taken from an ab initio database developed at NASA Ames Research Center. The macroscopic relaxation times, energy transfer rates, and dissociation rate coefficients are extracted from the solution of the master equation. The computed rotational-translational (RT) and vibrational-translational (VT) relaxation times are different at low heat bath temperatures (e.g., RT is about two orders of magnitude faster than VT at T = 5000 K), but they converge to a common limiting value at high temperature. This is contrary to the conventional interpretation of thermal relaxation in which translational and rotational relaxation timescales are assumed comparable with vibrational relaxation being considerable slower. Thus, this assumption is questionable under high temperature non-equilibrium conditions. The exchange reaction plays a very significant role in determining the dynamics of the population densities. The macroscopic energy transfer and dissociation rates are found to be slower when exchange processes are neglected. A macroscopic dissociation rate coefficient based on the quasi-stationary distribution, exhibits excellent agreement with experimental data of Appleton et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 48, 599-608 (1968)]. However, at higher temperatures, only about 50% of dissociation is found to take place under quasi-stationary state conditions. This suggest the necessity of explicitly including some rovibrational levels, when solving a global kinetic rate equation.

An isotopic-independent highly accurate potential energy surface for CO2 isotopologues and an initial (12)C(16)O2 infrared line list.

An isotopic-independent, highly accurate potential energy surface (PES) has been determined for CO(2) by refining a purely ab initio PES with selected, purely experimentally determined rovibrational energy levels. The purely ab initio PES is denoted Ames-0, while the refined PES is denoted Ames-1. Detailed tests are performed to demonstrate the spectroscopic accuracy of the Ames-1 PES. It is shown that Ames-1 yields σ(rms) (root-mean-squares error) = 0.0156 cm(-1) for 6873 J = 0-117 (12)C(16)O(2) experimental energy levels, even though less than 500 (12)C(16)O(2) energy levels were included in the refinement procedure. It is also demonstrated that, without any additional refinement, Ames-1 yields very good agreement for isotopologues. Specifically, for the (12)C(16)O(2) and (13)C(16)O(2) isotopologues, spectroscopic constants G(v) computed from Ames-1 are within ±0.01 and 0.02 cm(-1) of reliable experimentally derived values, while for the (16)O(12)C(18)O, (16)O(12)C(17)O, (16)O(13)C(18)O, (16)O(13)C(17)O, (12)C(18)O(2), (17)O(12)C(18)O, (12)C(17)O(2), (13)C(18)O(2), (13)C(17)O(2), (17)O(13)C(18)O, and (14)C(16)O(2) isotopologues, the differences are between ±0.10 and 0.15 cm(-1). To our knowledge, this is the first time a polyatomic PES has been refined using such high J values, and this has led to new challenges in the refinement procedure. An initial high quality, purely ab initio dipole moment surface (DMS) is constructed and used to generate a 296 K line list. For most bands, experimental IR intensities are well reproduced for (12)C(16)O(2) using Ames-1 and the DMS. For more than 80% of the bands, the experimental intensities are reproduced with σ(rms)(ΔI) < 20% or σ(rms)(ΔI∕δ(obs)) < 5. A few exceptions are analyzed and discussed. Directions for future improvements are discussed, though it is concluded that the current Ames-1 and the DMS should be useful in analyzing and assigning high-resolution laboratory or astronomical spectra.

Rovibrational spectra of ammonia. I. Unprecedented accuracy of a potential energy surface used with nonadiabatic corrections.

In this work, we build upon our previous work on the theoretical spectroscopy of ammonia, NH(3). Compared to our 2008 study, we include more physics in our rovibrational calculations and more experimental data in the refinement procedure, and these enable us to produce a potential energy surface (PES) of unprecedented accuracy. We call this the HSL-2 PES. The additional physics we include is a second-order correction for the breakdown of the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, and we find it to be critical for improved results. By including experimental data for higher rotational levels in the refinement procedure, we were able to greatly reduce our systematic errors for the rotational dependence of our predictions. These additions together lead to a significantly improved total angular momentum (J) dependence in our computed rovibrational energies. The root-mean-square error between our predictions using the HSL-2 PES and the reliable energy levels from the HITRAN database for J = 0-6 and J = 7∕8 for (14)NH(3) is only 0.015 cm(-1) and 0.020∕0.023 cm(-1), respectively. The root-mean-square errors for the characteristic inversion splittings are approximately 1∕3 smaller than those for energy levels. The root-mean-square error for the 6002 J = 0-8 transition energies is 0.020 cm(-1). Overall, for J = 0-8, the spectroscopic data computed with HSL-2 is roughly an order of magnitude more accurate relative to our previous best ammonia PES (denoted HSL-1). These impressive numbers are eclipsed only by the root-mean-square error between our predictions for purely rotational transition energies of (15)NH(3) and the highly accurate Cologne database (CDMS): 0.00034 cm(-1) (10 MHz), in other words, 2 orders of magnitude smaller. In addition, we identify a deficiency in the (15)NH(3) energy levels determined from a model of the experimental data.

Rovibrational spectra of ammonia. II. Detailed analysis, comparison, and prediction of spectroscopic assignments for 14NH3, 15NH3, and 14ND3.

Several aspects of ammonia rovibrational spectra have been investigated using the new HSL-2 potential energy surface that includes an approximate correction for nonadiabatic effects. The unprecedented accuracy of rovibrational energy levels and transition energies computed using HSL-2 was demonstrated in Part I of this study. For (14)NH(3), new assignments for a few ν(3) + ν(4) band transitions and energy levels are suggested, and discrepancies between computed and HITRAN energy levels in the 2ν(4) band are analyzed (2ν(4) is the most difficult band below 5000 cm(-1)). New assignments are suggested for existing or missing 2ν(4) levels. Several new vibrational bands are identified from existing, unassigned HITRAN data, including 2ν(2) + ν(4), (ν(3) + ν(4)) -A(')∕A("), ν(1) + 2ν(2), and 2ν(2) + 2ν(4). The strong mixing between the 2ν(4) and 2ν(2) + ν(4) bands is carefully examined and found to be the source of the difficulties in the experimental modeling of 2ν(4). Discussion is presented for preliminary J = 10 results, where the overall root-mean-square error is estimated to be less than 0.039 cm(-1). The analysis of the 4ν(2) band demonstrates both the reliability and the accuracy of predictions from HSL-2. The full list of computed J = 0 band origins (with assignments) and the inversion splittings up to 7000-8000 cm(-1) above the zero-point energy are presented. J = 0-2 levels are reported for those bands below 5100 cm(-1) that are missing from the HITRAN database. For (15)NH(3), excellent agreement is found for the available ν(2) and ν(3) + ν(4)(E) transition energies, but significant deficiencies are shown for HITRAN levels and several corrections are suggested. The (15)N isotopic effects are presented for the J = 0-6 levels of 13 HITRAN bands. For (14)ND(3), we reproduce the pure rotational inversion spectra line frequencies with an accuracy similar to that for (14)NH(3). However, it is not possible to reproduce simultaneously all four pairs of inversion-split vibrational fundamentals to better than 0.05 cm(-1) uncertainty. It is suggested that a reanalysis of some suspicious (14)ND(3) fundamental bands is required. The analyses presented here and in Part I show that rovibrational energy levels and transition frequencies computed with HSL-2 (with nonadiabatic corrections) remain highly accurate well beyond the experimental data used in the refinement procedure. Calculations using HSL-2 are capable of revealing many deficiencies in experimental analyses of ammonia spectra and provide reliable predictions with similar accuracy. It is expected that the results of this study will be useful in the future interpretation of high-resolution spectra from laboratory experiments or from astronomical observations. The present work represents a very significant advance in the state of our knowledge of the spectroscopy of ammonia and its isotopologues.

An approach to include the effects of diffuse functions in potential energy surface calculations.

A new approach is proposed and investigated for approximately including the effects of diffuse functions in one-particle basis sets when high accuracy is desired. The method is cost-effective for use in computing quartic force fields (QFFs), global potential energy surfaces (PESs), or other situations when a large part of the PES is needed. It is conservatively estimated that the use of this approximation leads to a computational savings of a factor of five, and it is argued that this could be significantly larger if input/output wait times are considered. It can be used when extrapolation to the one-particle basis set limit is performed, or it can be used simply to approximate the effect of diffuse functions for a larger basis set. The new approach is based on scaling the diffuse function effect for a smaller basis set to approximate the effect for a larger basis or an extrapolated energy in which larger basis set(s) are used. The scale factor is written as a function of the geometrical coordinates of the molecule and thus it includes a geometry dependence. We report results where the scale factor is a constant, includes through gradient terms, includes through second derivative terms, and includes through diagonal second and third derivative terms. The method has been tested in the calculation of accurate QFFs, equilibrium structures, and harmonic and fundamental vibrational frequencies for NH(2)(-), OH(-), H(2)O, and CH(3)OH. It is found that including up through diagonal second derivative terms leads to reliable fundamental vibrational frequencies and is cost-effective. It is also concluded that the use of a 5Z-quality basis set is essential if high accuracy is desired for these properties, even with extrapolation to the one-particle basis set limit.

Functional representation for the born-oppenheimer diagonal correction and born-huang adiabatic potential energy surfaces for isotopomers of H3.

Multireference configuration interaction (MRCI) calculations of the Born-Oppenheimer diagonal correction (BODC) for H(3) were performed at 1397 symmetry-unique configurations using the Handy-Yamaguchi-Schaefer approach; isotopic substitution leads to 4041 symmetry-unique configurations for the DH(2) mass combination. These results were then fit to a functional form that permits calculation of the BODC for any combination of isotopes. Mean unsigned fitting errors on a test grid of configurations not included in the fitting process were 0.14, 0.12, and 0.65 cm(-1) for the H(3), DH(2), and MuH(2) isotopomers, respectively. This representation can be combined with any Born-Oppenheimer potential energy surface (PES) to yield Born-Huang (BH) PESs; herein, we choose the CCI potential energy surface, the uncertainties of which ( approximately 0.01 kcal/mol) are much smaller than the magnitude of the BODC. Fortran routines to evaluate these BH surfaces are provided. Variational transition state theory calculations are presented comparing thermal rate constants for reactions on the BO and BH surfaces to provide an initial estimate of the significance of the diagonal correction for the dynamics.

An accurate global potential energy surface, dipole moment surface, and rovibrational frequencies for NH(3).

A global potential energy surface (PES) that includes short and long range terms has been determined for the NH(3) molecule. The singles and doubles coupled-cluster method that includes a perturbational estimate of connected triple excitations and the internally contracted averaged coupled-pair functional electronic structure methods have been used in conjunction with very large correlation-consistent basis sets, including diffuse functions. Extrapolation to the one-particle basis set limit was performed and core correlation and scalar relativistic contributions were included directly, while the diagonal Born-Oppenheimer correction was added. Our best purely ab initio PES, denoted "mixed," is constructed from two PESs which differ in whether the ic-ACPF higher-order correlation correction was added or not. Rovibrational transition energies computed from the mixed PES agree well with experiment and the best previous theoretical studies, but most importantly the quality does not deteriorate even up to 10 300 cm(-1) above the zero-point energy (ZPE). The mixed PES was improved further by empirical refinement using the most reliable J=0-2 rovibrational transitions in the HITRAN 2004 database. Agreement between high-resolution experiment and rovibrational transition energies computed from our refined PES for J=0-6 is excellent. Indeed, the root mean square (rms) error for 13 HITRAN 2004 bands for J=0-2 is 0.023 cm(-1) and that for each band is always

Benchmark calculations of the complete configuration-interaction limit of Born-Oppenheimer diagonal corrections to the saddle points of isotopomers of the H + H2 reaction.

We present a detailed ab initio study of the effect that the Born-Oppenheimer diagonal correction (BODC) has on the saddle-point properties of the H3 system and its isotopomers. Benchmark values are presented that are estimated to be within 0.1 cm(-1) of the complete configuration-interaction limit. We consider the basis set and correlation treatment requirements for accurate BODC calculations, and both are observed to be more favorable than for the Born-Oppenheimer energies. The BODC raises the H + H2 barrier height by 0.1532 kcal/mol and slightly narrows the barrier--with the imaginary frequency increasing by approximately 2%.

The extrapolation of one-electron basis sets in electronic structure calculations: how it should work and how it can be made to work.

We consider the extrapolation of the one-electron basis to the basis set limit in the context of coupled cluster calculations. We produce extrapolation coefficients that produce much more accurate results than previous extrapolation forms. These are determined by fitting to accurate benchmark results. For coupled cluster singles doubles energies, we take our benchmark results from the work of Klopper that explicitly includes the interelectronic distance. For the perturbative triples energies, our benchmark results are obtained from large even-tempered basis set calculations.

Quantum study of the N+N(2) exchange reaction: state-to-state reaction probabilities, initial state selected probabilities, Feshbach resonances, and product distributions.

We report a detailed three-dimensional time-dependent quantum dynamics study of the state-to-state N+N(2) exchange scattering in the 2.1-3.2 eV range using a recently developed ab initio potential energy surface (PES). The reactive flux arrives at the dividing surface in the asymptotic product region in a series of six packets, instead of a single packet. Further study shows that these features arise from the "Lake Eyring" region of the PES, a region with a shallow well between two transition states. Trappings due to Feshbach resonances are found to be the major cause of the time delay. A detailed analysis of the Feshbach resonance features is carried out using an L(2) calculation of the metastable states in the "Lake Eyring" region. Strong resonance features are found in the state-to-state and initial state selected reaction probabilities. The metastable states with bending motions and/or bending coupled with stretching motions are found to be the predominant source of the resonance structure. Initial state selected reaction probabilities further indicate that the lifetimes of the metastable states with bending motions in the "Lake Eyring" region are longer than those of states with stretching motions and thus dominate the reactive resonances. Resonance structures are also visible in some of the integral cross sections and should provide a means for future experimental observation of the resonance behavior. A study of the final rotational distributions shows that, for the energy range studied here, the final products are distributed toward high-rotational states. Final vibrational distributions at the temperatures 2000 and 10,000 K are also reported.

H+H2 thermal reaction: a convergence of theory and experiment.

New experimental and theoretical rate constants for two isotopologs of the simplest chemical reaction, H+H2-->H2+H, are presented. The theoretical results are obtained using accurate quantum dynamics with a converged Born-Oppenheimer potential energy surface and include non-Born-Oppenheimer corrections. The new experiments are carried out using a shock tube and complement earlier investigations over a very large T range, 167 to 2112 K. Experiment and theory now agree perfectly, within experimental error, bringing this 75-year-old scientific problem to completion.