THE NATURE OF MONOMER INVERSION IN THE AMMONIA DIMER

A model is presented for calculating the splittings due to umbrella inversion of the monomers in (NH3)2. Input to the model are the six-dimensional dimer bound state wave functions for rigid monomers, calculated previously [E. H. T. Olthof, A. van der Avoird, and P. E. S. Wormer, J. Chem. Phys. 101, 8430 (1994)]. This model is based on first-order (quasi) degenerate perturbation theory and adaptation of the wave functions to the group chain G36⊂G72⊂G144. The umbrella inversion splittings depend sensitively on the intermolecular potential from which the bound state wave functions are obtained. A complete interpretation of the observed splitting pattern [J. G. Loeser, C. A. Schmuttenmaer, R. C. Cohen, M. J. Elrod, D. W. Steyert, R. J. Saykally, R. E. Bumgarner, and G. A. Blake, J. Chem. Phys. 97, 4727 (1992)] and quantitative agreement with the measured splittings, which range over three orders of magnitude, are obtained from the potential that reproduces the far-infrared spectrum of (NH3) 2 and the dipole moment and nuclear quadrupole splittings of (NH 3)2 and (ND3)2. The umbrella inversion splittings of (ND3)2 are predicted. © 1994 American Institute of Physics.