DISTORTED-WAVE CALCULATION FOR ELECTRONIC-ENERGY TRANSFER IN MOLECULAR-COLLISIONS - APPLICATION TO THE N2(A-SIGMA-3-U[+])+CO(X-SIGMA-1[+])-]N2(X-SIGMA-1-G[+]+CO(A-PI-3) SYSTEM

The electronic energy transfer in collisions between two diatomic molecules at thermal energy is treated by a distorted-wave type calculation. The predominationg role of short-range interactions is assumed. Potential energy curves and coupling terms have been estimated by configuration interaction between locally excited states. The method is applied to the system: N 2(A3Σu+) + CO(X 1Σ+)→N2(X1Σ g+) + CO(a3Π). The results are compared with the available experimental data. A general study of the dependence of the rate constants and cross sections on the energy gap and the temperature is given. Finally a comparison with the golden-rule model and other quantum mechanical approximate calculations is presented. © 1979 American Institute of Physics.