Quantum effects in rotationally inelastic molecular scattering: K+N2 and K+CO collisions on simple model surfaces

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Abstract
Rigid‐rotor calculations within the infinite‐order‐sudden approximation have been performed for K+N2 and K+CO collisions in the energy range 0.75 eV?E?2.0 eV and for scattering angles 50°?Θ?150°. Simple model potentials have been chosen to reproduce roughly the experimental findings of Schepper, Ross, and Beck [Z. Phys. A 290, 131 (1979)]. In the asymmetric case two distinct rotational rainbows in the final rotational distribution at each scattering angle are observed, which coincide in collisions with homonuclear molecules. Additional oscillations on the ’’bright’’ side of the main rainbow maxima caused by interference of a maximum of four stationary phase points in the integration over the orientation angle are not yet resolved experimentally. The dependence of these rotational rainbow structures on collision energy, scattering angle and potential parameters is investigated. The findings for homonuclearmolecules are partly described by a simple ’’inversion’’ formula derived from an exponential potential in the case of backward scattering.