F + D 2 reaction at ultracold temperatures

We present a quantum mechanical study of the reaction F+D2 at ultracold temperatures based on the potential energy surface of Stark and Werner. The reaction cross section at low energies is controlled by the tunneling through the activation barrier, a mechanism that is favored by the long duration of the collision at those energies. Differences are found in the behavior of the reactive cross section compared to that for F+H2, due to the changed mass and zero point energy. A new feature is detected in the reaction probabilities and is attributed to a Feshbach resonance corresponding to a metastable state in the exit channel.