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A new potential energy surface for the electronic ground state of the simplest triatomic anion H3- is determined for a large number of geometries. Its accuracy is improved at short and large distances compared to previous studies. The permanent dipole moment surface of the state is also computed for the first time. Nine vibrational levels of H3- and 14 levels of D3- are obtained, bound by at most ∼70 and ∼126 cm-1, respectively. These results should guide the spectroscopic search of the H3- ion in cold gases (below 100K) of molecular hydrogen in the presence of H- ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An accurate full-dimensional global potential energy surface (PES) for the F+CH4→HF+CH3 reaction has been developed based on 19 384 UCCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ quality ab initio energy points obtained by an efficient composite method employing explicit UCCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVDZ and UMP2/aug-cc-pVXZ [X=D,T] computations. The PES contains a first-order saddle point, (CH4- -F)SP, separating reactants from products, and also minima describing the van der Waals complexes, (CH4- - -F)vdW and (CH3- - -HF)vdW, in the entrance and exit channels, respectively. The structures of these stationary points, as well as those of the reactants and products have been computed and the corresponding energies have been determined using basis set extrapolation techniques considering (a) electron correlation beyond the CCSD(T) level, (b) effects of the scalar relativity and the spin-orbit couplings, (c) diagonal Born–Oppenheimer corrections (DBOC), and (d) zero-point vibrational energies and thermal correction to the enthalpy at 298 K. The resulting saddle point barrier and ground state vibrationally adiabatic barrier heights (VSP and VVAGS), dissociation energy of (CH3- - -HF)vdW (De and D0), and the reaction enthalpy (ΔHe°, ΔH0°, and ΔH298°) are (240±40 and 245±200 cm-1), (1070±10 and 460±50 cm-1), and (-10000±50, -11200±80, and -11000±80 cm-1), respectively. Variational vibrational calculations have been carried out for (CH3- - -HF)vdW in full (12) dimensions. Quasiclassical trajectory calculations of the reaction using the new PES are reported. The computed HF vibrational and rotational distributions are in excellent agreement with experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A global ab initio potential energy surface is proposed for the water molecule by energy-switching/merging a highly accurate isotope-dependent local potential function reported by Polyansky et al. [Science 299, 539 (2003)] with a global form of the many-body expansion type suitably adapted to account explicitly for the dynamical correlation and parametrized from extensive accurate multireference configuration interaction energies extrapolated to the complete basis set limit. The new function mimics also the complicated Σ/Π crossing that arises at linear geometries of the water molecule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local coupled cluster methods were applied for the automated generation of accurate multidimensional potential energy surfaces for a set of test molecules ranging from six to nine atoms. Based on these surfaces anharmonic fundamental frequencies were computed using vibrational self-consistent field and configuration interaction methods. The computed vibrational frequencies are compared to those obtained from similar calculations using conventional coupled cluster methods and to experimental values. The results from local and conventional methods are found to be of similar accuracy and in close agreement with experimental values. In addition, an efficient parallelization of the fully automated surface generation code is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The basic formal and numerical aspects of different degree interpolated moving least-squares (IMLS) methods are applied to a six-dimensional potential energy surface (PES) of the HOOH molecule, for which an analytic (“exact”) potential is available in the literature. The results of systematic investigations of the effects of weight function parameters, the degree and partial degree of IMLS, the number of data points allowed, and the optimal automatic point selection of data points up to full third-degree IMLS fits are reported. With partial reduction of cross terms and automatic point selection the full six-dimensional HOOH PES can be fit over a range of 100 kcal/mol to an accuracy of less than 1 kcal/mol with ∼1350 ab initio points. © 2004 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combinatorial invariant and covariant are introduced as practical tools for analysis of conical intersections in molecules. The combinatorial invariant is a quantity depending on adiabatic electronic states taken at discrete nuclear configuration points. It is invariant to the phase choice (gauge) of these states. In the limit that the points trace a loop in nuclear configuration space, the value of the invariant approaches the corresponding Berry phase factor. The Berry phase indicates the presence of an odd or even number of conical intersections on surfaces bounded by these loops. Based on the combinatorial invariant, we develop a computationally simple and efficient method for locating conical intersections. The method is robust due to its use of gauge invariant nature. It does not rely on the landscape of intersecting potential energy surfaces nor does it require the computation of nonadiabatic couplings. We generalize the concept to open paths and combinatorial covariants for higher dimensions obtaining a technique for the construction of the gauge-covariant adiabatic-diabatic transformation matrix. This too does not make use of nonadiabatic couplings. The importance of using gauge-covariant expressions is underlined throughout. These techniques can be readily implemented by standard quantum chemistry codes.© 2004 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates the capability of time-dependent density functional response theory to describe excited state potential energy surfaces of conjugated organic molecules. Applications to linear polyenes, aromatic systems, and the protonated Schiff base of retinal demonstrate the scope of currently used exchange-correlation functionals as local, adiabatic approximations to time-dependent Kohn–Sham theory. The results are compared to experimental and ab initio data of various kinds to attain a critical analysis of common problems concerning charge transfer and long range (nondynamic) correlation effects. This analysis goes beyond a local investigation of electronic properties and incorporates a global view of the excited state potential energy surfaces. © 2004 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]