H3(+) + H2 isotopic system at low temperatures: microcanonical model and experimental study.

State-to-state thermal rate coefficients for reactions of all H(3)(+) + H(2) isotopic variants are derived and compared to new experimental data. The theoretical data are also sought for astrochemical modeling of cold environments (<50 K). The rates are calculated on the basis of a microcanonical approach using the Langevin model and the conservation laws of mass, energy, angular momentum, and nuclear spin. Full scrambling of all five nuclei during the collision is assumed for the calculations and alternatively partial dynamical restrictions are considered. The ergodic principle of the collision is employed in two limiting cases, neglecting (weak ergodic limit) or accounting for explicit degeneracies of the reaction mechanisms (strong ergodic limit). The resulting sets of rate coefficients are shown to be consistent with the detailed balance and thermodynamical equilibrium constants. Rate coefficients, k(T), for the deuteration chain of H(3)(+) with HD as well as H(2)D(+)/H(3)(+) equilibrium ratios have been measured in a variable temperature 22-pole ion trap. In particular, the D(2)H(+) + HD --> D(3)(+) + H(2) rate coefficient indicates a change in reaction mechanism when going to higher temperatures. The good overall agreement between experiment and theory encourages the use of the theoretical predictions for astrophysical modeling.

Quantum-induced symmetry breaking explains infrared spectra of CH(5)(+) isotopologues.

For decades, protonated methane, CH(5)(+), has provided new surprises and challenges for both experimentalists and theoreticians. This is because of the correlated large-amplitude motion of its five protons around the carbon nucleus, which leads to so-called hydrogen scrambling and causes a fluxional molecular structure. Here, the infrared spectra of all its H/D isotopologues have been measured using the 'Laser Induced Reactions' technique. Their shapes are found to be extremely dissimilar and depend strongly on the level of deuteration (only CD(5)(+) is similar to CH(5)(+)). All the spectra can be reproduced and assigned based on ab initio quantum simulations. The occupation of the topologically different sites by protons and deuterons is found to be strongly non-combinatorial and thus non-classical. This purely quantum-statistical effect implies a breaking of the classical symmetry of the site occupations induced by zero-point fluctuations, and this phenomenon is key to understanding the spectral changes studied here.

Overtone spectroscopy of H2D+ and D2H+ using laser induced reactions.

The method of laser induced reaction is used to obtain high-resolution IR spectra of H2D+ and D2H+ in collision with n-H2 at a nominal temperature of 17 K. For this purpose three cw-laser systems have been coupled to a 22-pole ion trap apparatus, two commercial diode laser systems in the ranges of 6100-6600 cm(-1) and 6760-7300 cm(-1), respectively, and a high-power optical parametric oscillator tunable in the range of 2600-3200 cm(-1). In total, 27 new overtone and combination transitions have been detected for H2D+ and D2H+, as well as a weak line in the nu1 vibrational band of H2D+ (2(20)<--1(01)) at 3164.118 cm(-1). The line positions are compared to high accuracy ab initio calculations, showing small but mode-dependent differences, being largest for three vibrational quanta in the nu2 symmetric bending of H2D+. Within the experimental accuracy, the relative values of the ab initio predicted Einstein B coefficients are confirmed.

IR signature of (CO2)N clusters: size, shape and structural effects.

The structure of carbon dioxide aggregates is investigated by means of direct absorption IR specroscopy in the region of the antisymmetric stretching vibration v3. The (CO2)N particles are generated under dynamic (supersonic cooling in Laval nozzles) and static (collisional cooling cells) conditions over a broad mean size range (20 < N < 10(5)). The vibrational exciton approach is used to interpret the observed spectral features. The particles generated by supersonic cooling remain globular in shape even for the largest explored aggregate sizes (N approximately 10(5)), thus highlighting the absence of agglomeration between primary clusters under our jet conditions. This is in contrast to collisional cooling where the primary particles strongly agglomerate after a few seconds. The spectra for the larger particles (N > 10(4)) are well reproduced by the simulations if cuboctahedral or octahedral rather than spherical aggregate shapes are assumed.