Three-body effects in the exchange and dissociation encounters for Ar+Ar₂

Abstract

Many-body effects in reactive scattering are studied by investigating Ar+Ar2(v = 0, j = 0) reactions through the use of quasiclassical dynamics. The Axilrod-Teller triple dipole term is used to describe nonadditive contributions, while Morse and MSV III expressions are employed as pair potentials. Inclusion of the three-body term is found to modify polar differential cross section, opacity, and total cross section for exchange and dissociation at initial kinetic energies below 0.5 kcal/mole (250°K), although all differences calculated with the Morse lie within statistical uncertainties. The dissociation total cross section calculated with the more accurate MSV III pair potential is shifted beyond statistical uncertainty at an initial kinetic energy of 0.3 kcal/mole (150°K). This suggests that low energy reactive scattering in the Ar3 system may be measurably influenced by many-body forces. Copyright © 1976 American Institute of Physics.