Inelastic atom-diatomic-molecule collisions. II. Influence of initial vibrational and rotational excitation

For pt.I see ibid., vol.9, no.2, p.345 (1976). A quantum-mechanical spectator model is applied to the inelastic scattering of atoms by diatomic molecules. The model allows extensive calculations of differential cross sections for transitions between a large number of rotational and vibrational states of the molecule. The effect of initial vibrational and rotational excitation on the energy transfer to the molecule is studied in detail. Sample calculations are presented for the system N 2 +Li + . Considerable differences are found for energetically comparable vibrational and rotational initial excitation.