VIBRATIONAL ENERGY TRANSFER IN GASES - ATOM-TRIATOMIC-MOLECULE AND DIATOMIC-DIATOMIC-MOLECULE COLLISIONS

The interconversion of molecular vibrational energy and translational energy is investigated by a Monte Carlo method and numerical integration of the equations of motion. Colinear collisions of a linear triatomic molecule (having Morse bond potentials) with an atom via a Lennard-Jones 6-12 potential were investigated, and histograms characterizing the probability of transfer of various amounts of energy were constructed. Colinear collisions of two diatomic molecules (Morse bond potentials) interacting via a 6-12 potential were studied, and information on vibration-vibration transfer was obtained. In both models, total energies were in the range 1-20×10-12 erg.