Inelastic Scattering of He Atoms and NO(X2Π) Molecules: The Role of Parity on the Differential Cross Section

Quasiclassical trajectory (QCT) and quantum mechanical (QM) close-coupling calculations have been used to study the state-resolved rotationally inelastic scattering of NO(X2Π1/2,v = 0,j = 1/2,e/f) by He on the most recent ab initio potential energy surface of J. Kłos et al. [ J. Chem. Phys. 2000, 112, 2195. ]. Opacity functions, and integral and differential cross sections are reported at collision energies of 63 and 147 meV and compared with previous theoretical calculations and experimental measurements on this and other systems. The existence of double peaks in the QCT and QM differential cross sections is examined in detail. While at a collision energy of 147 meV two rotational peaks appear in both the QCT and open-shell QM results, only a single peak is found in the QM calculations at the lower collision energy. The double peaks in the quantum-state-resolved differential cross sections (DCS) are found to be closely related to structure found in the corresponding state-resolved opacity functions. The structure in the QCT and QM DCSs is attributed to a flattening of the potential energy surface for sideways approach of He to the near-symmetric NO(X) molecule, and in both sets of calculations, it is shown to arise from a specific odd term in the expansion of the intermolecular potential. Although significant differences are found between the QCT and QM data in the forward scattered direction, and for higher final rotational levels, reflecting differences in the nature of the rotational rainbows observed in these two methods, in general, the QCT calculations are shown to give similar results to quantum theory. Furthermore, they provide valuable clues as to the mechanism of rotational energy transfer in this system.