Latest findings on the dynamics of the simplest chemical reaction

This paper focuses on recent progress in the understanding of the H + H 2 reaction and its isotopic variants. The detailed agreement between theory and experiment attained during the last years is emphasized and major experimental and theoretical advances are highlighted. The excellent description of most experimental findings, from state-resolved cross-sections to thermal rate constants, provided by the available quantum mechanical (QM) treatments, as well as the good overall behaviour of classical mechanics are underlined. Debated issues on short-lived complexes and delayed scattering, resonances and interferences, geometric-phase (GP) effects, or product rotational distributions are discussed. Finally, some prospects for future research on this prototypic system are presented.