ENERGY-TRANSFER IN ION-POLAR MOLECULE COLLISIONS

Rotational excitation of HCN in collisions with Na+ is considered, at energies between 0.1 and 10 eV using a point charge rotating dipole, impact parameters description. The resulting cross sections are interpreted in terms of crossings between Stark-shifted rotational levels. In the region where inelastic collisions dominate, non-polar molecule reactions should proceed through complex formation. The model predicts the same behavior as orbiting models at lower energies, yielding a rate independent of temperature, in agreement with experiment. © 1979.