Superthermal widths of the collision energy distributions in hot atom reactions

Abstract

Analytical expressions are presented for the collision energy distribution and its width in hot atom reactions. These expressions are adapted from those derived previously by Chantry [J. Chem. Phys. 1971, 55, 2746] for the related context of ion-molecule reactions. Although the spread in the collision energy distribution arises solely from the thermal motions of the reagents, its width exceeds the average thermal energies of the reagents, often substantially. © 1991 American Chemical Society.