The kinetics of X + H₂ reactions (X = C(¹D), N(²D), O(¹D), S(¹D)) at low temperature: recent combined experimental and theoretical investigations

ABSTRACT

In recent years, combined experimental and theoretical efforts have brought valuable information on the kinetics of reactive collisions between molecular hydrogen and an electronically excited atom X (where $\mathrm{X}=\mathrm{C}{(}^1\mathrm{D})$, $\mathrm{N}{(}^2\mathrm{D})$, $\mathrm{O}{(}^1\mathrm{D})$ or $\mathrm{S}{(}^1\mathrm{D})$). These four reactions have been comparatively studied together in numerous occasions in the past due to the similar importance of complex-forming mechanisms found in their overall dynamics. In this work, we compile the most updated information on these investigations making a special emphasis from the theoretical side on statistically based techniques, in an attempt to test the possible insertion nature of the overall dynamics. Besides a description of the experimental details of the kinetics investigation, a comparison of the measured rate constants over a temperature range between 50 and 300 K with the most recent theoretical calculations is presented.

KEYWORDS:

• Reaction dynamics
• reactive scattering
• statistical methods
• low temperature kinetics
• experimental kinetics

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

T.G.L. thanks MINECO/AEI/FEDER, UE, Spain for support with Grants FIS2017-83157-P, (MINECO/AEI/FEDER, UE) and PID2020-114654GB-I00/AEI/1013039/501100011033. K.M.H. acknowledges support from the French program “Physique et Chimie du Milieu Interstellaire” (PCMI) of the CNRS/INSU with the INC/INP cofunded by the CEA and CNES as well as funding from the “Program National de Planétologie” (PNP) of the CNRS/INSU.