ROTATIONALLY INELASTIC, CLASSICAL SCATTERING FROM AN ANISOTROPIC RIGID SHELL POTENTIAL OF ROTATION SYMMETRY

Rotational excitation in collisions of structureless atoms and diatomic rigid rotor molecules interacting by a rigid potential shell is considered in classical mechanics. The double differential cross section J(u*, θ) for final (over initial) relative velocity u*=ν′/ν and deflection by θ is analytically related to the shell form in the case of vanishing initial molecular rotation. J(u*, θ) exhibits the strong structure of bulge" scattering or "orientational rainbows" which has been observed in the K-N2 and K-CO systems and is expected to occur in rotationally inelastic collisions of many nonreactive systems under appropriate scattering conditions. The present results elucidate the nature of the sensitive and direct relation of bulge scattering to the anisotropy of the intermolecular potential. © 1979 Springer-Verlag."