Autoionization Processes Involving Molecules of Atmospheric Interest: A Computational Test for Ne * -N 2 System

This paper provides basic aspects of the stereodynamics of autoionization reactions, triggered by collisions of N2 molecules with metastable neon atoms, Ne*(3P2,0), that are of great relevance for the balance of phenomena occurring in atmospheric environments under various conditions. A computational analysis based on the long-range intermolecular forces involved, some of chemical and other of physical origin, allows a first attempt in order to reproduce experimental data from our and other laboratories. This is a good test of the reliability of our recently proposed semiclassical model for atom-atom self-ionization processes and here extended to a simple atom-molecule system.