Effect of Reagent Vibration and Rotation on the State-to-State Dynamics of the Hydrogen Exchange Reaction, H + H 2 → H 2 + H.

State-to-state dynamics of the benchmark hydrogen exchange reaction H + H ₂ ( v = 0-4, j = 0-3) → H ₂ ( v ', j ') + H is investigated with the aid of the real wave packet approach of Gray and Balint-Kurti ( J. Chem. Phys. 1998, 108 , 950-962) and electronic ground BKMP2 potential energy surface of Boothroyd et al. ( J. Chem. Phys. 1996, 104 , 7139-7152). Initial state-selected and product state-resolved reaction probabilities, integral cross section, and product diatom vibrational and rotational level populations at a few collision energies are reported to elucidate the energy disposal mechanism. State-specific thermal rate constants are also calculated and compared with the available literature results. Coriolis coupling terms of the nuclear Hamiltonian are included, and calculations are parallelized over the helicity quantum number, Ω'. Attempts are made, in particular, to study the effect of reagent vibrational and rotational excitations on the dynamical attributes. It is found that the calculations become computationally expensive with reagent vibrational and rotational excitation. Reagent vibrational excitation is found to enhance the reactivity and has significant impact on the energy disposal to the vibrational and rotational degrees of freedom of the product. The interplay of reagent translational and vibrational energy on the product vibrational distribution unfolds an important aspect of the energy disposal mechanism. The effect of reagent rotation on the state-to-state dynamics is found not to be very significant, and the weak effect turns out to be specific to v '.