Application of a non-integer Bessel uniform approximation to inelastic molecular collisions

A non-integer Bessel uniform approximation has been used to calculate transition probabilities for collinear atom-oscillator collisions. The collision systems used are a harmonic oscillator interacting via a Lennard-Jones potential and a Morse oscillator interacting via an exponential potential. Both classically allowed and classically forbidden transitions have been treated. The order of the Bessel function is chosen by a physical argument that makes use of information contained in the final-action initial-angle plot. Limitations of this procedure are discussed. It is shown that the non-integer Bessel approximation is accurate for elastic 0 →0 collisions at high collision energies, where the integer Bessel approximation is inaccurate or inapplicable.