Rotational predissociation of (rare gas atom)–(slow rotating diatomic molecule) complexes

We present an adiabatic angular approximation, closely related to the infinite order sudden approximation, to treat rotational predissociation of triatomic van der Waals complexes formed by a rare gas atom and a diatomic molecule that is treated as a rigid rotor. The metastable states of the complex are obtained as discrete solutions of the Schrödinger equation while the corresponding continuum solutions allow us to estimate the rates for rotational predissociation, within the framework of the Golden Rule approximation, after the relevant discrete-continuum dynamical couplings are calculated. Applications to the He-CO, He-N2, and He-O2 systems are presented. © 1987 American Institute of Physics.Two of us (G. D.-B. and P. V.) thank the University of Rome for a visiting fellowship during the tenure of which this work was begun.Peer Reviewe