Reactive scattering via a persistent collision complex as a function of impact parameter

Abstract A recently proposed microcanonical transition state theory for angular distributions of reactive scattering arising from a persistent collision complex is extended to the full range of impact parameters. At larger impact parameters the angular distribution is governed by the precessional motion of the symmetric top transition state for complex dissociation while at smaller impact parameters the angular distribution is determined by the disposition of the product orbital angular momentum estimated from phase space theory. The extended theory predicts an angular distribution for F+C 2 H 5 I reactive scattering which is in excellent agreement with recent experimental measurements at an initial translational energy E ≈ 38 kJ mol −1 .