EFFECT OF INDISTINGUISHABLE NUCLEI ON PRODUCT ROTATIONAL DISTRIBUTIONS - D+DI-]D2+I

A marked population alternation between adjacent rotational levels is observed for the D2(ν=1, J) product of the D+DI→D2+I reaction, analogous to that reported for the H+HI→H2+I reaction (P.M. Aker, G.J. Germann, and J.J. Valentini, J. Chem. Phys. 90 (1989) 4795; D.A.V. Kliner, K.-D. Rinnen and R.N. Zare, J. Chem. Phys. 90 (1989) 4625). These alternations result from the indistinguishability of the D (H) nuclei in the D+DI (H+HI) reaction. The magnitude of the alternations indicates that there are no symmetry constraints on the reaction complex aside from nuclear exchange symmetry (conserved nuclear spin-statistics (CNSS) condition). © 1990.