title: Observation of partial wave resonances in low-energy O2-H2 inelastic collisions.
abstract: Partial wave resonances predicted to occur in bimolecular collision processes have proven challenging to observe experimentally. Here, we report crossed-beam experiments and quantum-scattering calculations on inelastic collisions between ground-state O2 and H2 molecules that provide state-to-state cross sections for rotational excitation of O2 (rotational state N = 1, j = 0) to O2 (N = 1, j = 1) in the vicinity of the thermodynamic threshold at 3.96 centimeter(-1). The close agreement between experimental and theoretical results confirms the classically forbidden character of this collision-induced transition, which occurs exclusively in a purely quantum mechanical regime via shape and Feshbach resonances arising from partial waves with total angular momentum (J) = 2 to 4.
authors.affiliation: Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Sciences Moléculaires, 33400 Talence, France.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chefdeville
authors.forename: Yulia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kalugina
authors.forename: Sebastiaan Y T
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: van de Meerakker
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Naulin
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lique
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Costes
mesh_terms: D006859:Hydrogen / Q000737:chemistry*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry*; D011789:Quantum Theory; D012399:Rotation; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D006859:Hydrogen; D010100:Oxygen