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At least 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Inelastic Triatom-Atom Quantum Close-Coupling Dynamics in Full Dimensionality: All Rovibrational Mode Quenching of Water Due to the H Impact on a Six-Dimensional Potential Energy Surface

The rovibrational level populations, and subsequent emission in various astrophysical environments, are driven by inelastic collision processes. The available rovibrational rate coefficients for water have been calculated using a number of approximations. We present a numerically exact calculation for the rovibrational quenching for all water vibrational modes due to collisions with atomic hydrogen. The scattering theory implements a quantum close-coupling (CC) method on a high level ab initio six-dimensional (6D) potential energy surface (PES). Total rovibrational quenching cross sections for excited bending levels were compared with earlier results on a 4D PES with the rigid-bender closecoupling (RBCC) approximation. General agreement between 6D-CC and 4DRBCC calculations are found, but differences are evident including the energy and amplitude of low-energy orbiting resonances. Quenching cross sections from the symmetric and asymmetric stretch modes are provided for the first time. The current 6D-CC calculation provides accurate inelastic data needed for astrophysical modeling.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Automated Construction of Potential Energy Surfaces Suitable to Describe van der Waals Complexes with Highly Excited Nascent Molecules: The Rotational Spectra of Ar–CS( v ) and Ar–SiS( v )

Some reactions produce extremely hot nascent products which nevertheless can form sufficiently long-lived van der Waals (vdW) complexes—with atoms or molecules from a bath gas—as to be observed via microwave spectroscopy. Theoretical calculations of such unbound resonance states can be much more challenging than ordinary bound-state calculations depending on the approach employed. One encounters not just the floppy, and perhaps multiwelled potential energy surface (PES) characteristic of vdWs complexes, but in addition, one must contend with excitation of the intramolecular modes and its corresponding influence on the PES. Straightforward computation of the (resonance) rovibrational levels of interest, involves the added complication of the unbound nature of the wave function, often treated with techniques such as introducing a complex absorbing potential. Here, we have demonstrated that a simplified approach of making a series of vibrationally effective PESs for the intermolecular coordinates—one for each reaction product vibrational quantum number of interest—can produce vdW levels for the complex with spectroscopic accuracy. This requires constructing a series of appropriately weighted lower-dimensional PESs for which we use our freely available PES-fitting code AUTOSURF. The applications of this study are the Ar–CS and Ar–SiS complexes, which are isovalent to Ar–CO and Ar–SiO, the latter of which we considered in a previously reported study. Using a series of vibrationally effective PESs, rovibrational levels and predicted microwave transition frequencies for both complexes were computed variationally. A series of shifting rotational transition frequencies were also computed as a function of the diatom vibrational quantum number. The predicted transitions were used to guide and inform an experimental effort to make complementary observations. Comparisons are given for the transitions that are within the range of the spectrometer and were successfully recorded. Calculations of the rovibrational level pattern agree to within 0.2% with experimental measurements.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Fully quantum calculations of O 2 –N 2 scattering using a new potential energy surface: Collisional perturbations of the oxygen 118 GHz fine structure line

A proper description of the collisional perturbation of the shapes of molecular resonances is important for remote spectroscopic studies of the terrestrial atmosphere. Of particular relevance are the collisions between the $\text{O}_2$ and $\text{N}_2$ molecules—the two most abundant atmospheric species. In this work, we report a new highly accurate $\text{O}_2(\text{X}^3Σ^–_g)–\text{N}_2(\text{X}^1Σ^+_g)$ potential energy surface and use it for performing the first quantum scattering calculations addressing line shapes for this system. We use it to model the shape of the 118 GHz fine structure line in $\text{O}_2$ perturbed by collisions with $\text{N}_2$ molecules, a benchmark system for testing our methodology in the case of an active molecule in a spin triplet state. The calculated collisional broadening of the line agrees well with the available experimental data over a wide temperature range relevant for the terrestrial atmosphere. This work constitutes a step toward populating the spectroscopic databases with ab initio line shape parameters for atmospherically relevant systems.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1997

Rotational Energy Transfer of N2 Determined Using a New Ab Initio Potential Energy Surface

A new N2-N2 rigid-rotor surface has been determined using extensive Ab Initio quantum chemistry calculations together with recent experimental data for the second virial coefficient. Rotational energy transfer is studied using the new potential energy surface (PES) employing the close coupling method below 200 cm(exp -1) and coupled state approximation above that. Comparing with a previous calculation based on the PES of van der Avoird et al.,3 it is found that the new PES generally gives larger cross sections for large (delta)J transitions, but for small (delta)J transitions the cross sections are either comparable or smaller. Correlation between the differences in the cross sections and the two PES will be attempted. The computed cross sections will also be compared with available experimental data.

Huo, Winifred M.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Computed potential energy surfaces for chemical reactions

The minimum energy path for the addition of a hydrogen atom to N2 is characterized in CASSCF/CCI calculations using the (4s3p2d1f/3s2p1d) basis set, with additional single point calculations at the stationary points of the potential energy surface using the (5s4p3d2f/4s3p2d) basis set. These calculations represent the most extensive set of ab initio calculations completed to date, yielding a zero point corrected barrier for HN2 dissociation of approx. 8.5 kcal mol/1. The lifetime of the HN2 species is estimated from the calculated geometries and energetics using both conventional Transition State Theory and a method which utilizes an Eckart barrier to compute one dimensional quantum mechanical tunneling effects. It is concluded that the lifetime of the HN2 species is very short, greatly limiting its role in both termolecular recombination reactions and combustion processes.

Walch, Stephen P.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Formation of the oxyl’s potential energy surface by the spectral kinetics of a vibrational mode

One of the most reactive intermediates for oxidative reactions is the oxyl radical, an electron-deficient oxygen atom. The discovery of a new vibration upon photoexcitation of the oxygen evolution catalysis detected the oxyl radical at the SrTiO3 surface. The vibration was assigned to a motion of the sub-surface oxygen underneath the titanium oxyl (Ti–O●−) created upon hole transfer to (or electron extraction from) a hydroxylated surface site. Evidence for such an interfacial mode is derived from its spectral shape, which exhibited a Fano resonance—a coupling of a sharp normal mode to continuum excitations. Here, this Fano resonance is utilized to derive precise formation kinetics of the oxyl radical and its associated potential energy surface (PES). From the Fano lineshape, the formation kinetics are obtained from the anti-resonance (the kinetics of the coupling factor), the resonance (the kinetics of the coupled continuum excitations), and the frequency integrated spectrum (the kinetics of the normal mode’s cross-section). All three perspectives yield logistic function growth with a half-rise of 2.3 ± 0.3 ps and a time constant of 0.48 ± 0.09 ps. A non-equilibrium transient associated with photoexcitation is separated from the rise of the equilibrated PES. The logistic function characterizes the oxyl coverage at the very initial stages (t ∼ 0) to have an exponential growth rate that quickly decreases toward zero as a limiting coverage is reached. Such time-dependent reaction kinetics identify a dynamic activation barrier associated with the formation of a PES and quantify it for oxyl radical coverage.

Chemistry↗
DOE OSTI2022

Internal conversion and intersystem crossing dynamics based on coupled potential energy surfaces with full geometry-dependent spin–orbit and derivative couplings. Nonadiabatic photodissociation dynamics of NH 3 (A) leading to the NH(X 3 Σ – , a 1 Δ) + H 2 channel

Here we simulate the photodissociation of NH 3 originating from its first excited singlet state S 1 into the NH 2 + H (radical) and NH + H 2 (molecular) channels. The states considered are the ground singlet state S 0 , the first excited singlet state S 1 and the lowest-lying triplet state T 1 , which permit for the first time a uniform treatment of the internal conversion and intersystem crossing. The simulations are based on a diabatic potential energy matrix (DPEM) of S 0 , S 1 coupled by a conical intersection seam, as well as a potential energy surface (PES) for T 1 coupled by spin-orbit coupling (SOC) to the two singlet states. The DPEM and PES are fitted to ab initio electronic structure data (ESD) including energies, energy gradients, and derivative couplings. The DPEM also defines an adiabatic to diabatic state (AtD) transformation, which is used to transform the singular adiabatic SOC into a smooth function of the nuclear coordinates in the diabatic representation, allowing the diabatic SOC to be fit to an analytical functional form. ESD and SOC data obtained from these surfaces can serve as input for either quantum or semi-classical characterization of the nonadiabatic dynamics. Using the SHARC suite of programs, nonadiabatic simulations based on over 40 000 semi-classical trajectories assess the convergence of our results. The production of NH + H 2 is not direct, but is only achieved through a quasi-statistical dissociation mechanism after internal conversion to the ground electronic state. This leads to a much lower yield comparing with the main NH 2 + H channel. The NH(X 3 Σ_) radical produced through the intersystem crossing from S 0 to T 1 is rare (~0.2%) compared to NH(a 1 Δ) due to the process being spin forbidden.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Ab initio quantum scattering calculations and a new potential energy surface for the HCl( X 1Σ+)–O2(X3Σg−) system: Collision-induced line shape parameters for O2-perturbed R(0) 0–0 line in H35Cl

The remote sensing of abundance and properties of HCl—the main atmospheric reservoir of Cl atoms that directly participate in ozone depletion—is important for monitoring the partitioning of chlorine between “ozone-depleting” and “reservoir” species. Such remote studies require knowledge of the shapes of molecular resonances of HCl, which are perturbed by collisions with the molecules of the surrounding air. In this work, we report the first fully quantum calculations of collisional perturbations of the shape of a pure rotational line in H35Cl perturbed by an air-relevant molecule [as the first model system we choose the R(0) line in HCl perturbed by O2]. The calculations are performed on our new highly accurate HCl(X1Σ+)–O2(X3Σg−) potential energy surface. In addition to pressure broadening and shift, we also determine their speed dependencies and the complex Dicke parameter. This gives important input to the community discussion on the physical meaning of the complex Dicke parameter and its relevance for atmospheric spectra (previously, the complex Dicke parameter for such systems was mainly determined from phenomenological fits to experimental spectra and the physical meaning of its value in that context is questionable). We also calculate the temperature dependence of the line shape parameters and obtain agreement with the available experimental data. We estimate the total combined uncertainties of our calculations at 2% relative root-mean-square error in the simulated line shape at 296 K. This result constitutes an important step toward computational population of spectroscopic databases with accurate ab initio line shape parameters for molecular systems of terrestrial atmospheric importance.

Chemistry↗
NASA NTRS1997

Rotational Energy Transfer of N2 Gas Determined Using a New Ab Initio Potential Energy Surface

Rotational energy transfer between two N2 molecules is a fundamental process of some importance. Exchange is expected to play a role, but its importance is somewhat uncertain. Rotational energy transfer cross sections of N2 also have applications in many other fields including modeling of aerodynamic flows, laser operations, and linewidth analysis in nonintrusive laser diagnostics. A number of N2-N2 rigid rotor potential energy surface (PES) has been reported in the literature.

Huo, Winifred M.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Multifidelity Neural Network Formulations for Prediction of Reactive Molecular Potential Energy Surfaces

Here, this paper focuses on the development of multifidelity modeling approaches using neural network surrogates, where training data arising from multiple model forms and resolutions are integrated to predict high-fidelity response quantities of interest at lower cost. We focus on the context of quantum chemistry and the integration of information from multiple levels of theory. Important foundations include the use of symmetry function-based atomic energy vector constructions as feature vectors for representing structures across families of molecules and single-fidelity neural network training capabilities that learn the relationships needed to map feature vectors to potential energy predictions. These foundations are embedded within several multifidelity topologies that decompose the high-fidelity mapping into model-based components, including sequential formulations that admit a general nonlinear mapping across fidelities and discrepancy-based formulations that presume an additive decomposition. Methodologies are first explored and demonstrated on a pair of simple analytical test problems and then deployed for potential energy prediction for C 5 H 5 using B2PLYP-D3/6-311++G(d,p) for high-fidelity simulation data and Hartree–Fock 6-31G for low-fidelity data. For the common case of limited access to high-fidelity data, our computational results demonstrate that multifidelity neural network potential energy surface constructions achieve roughly an order of magnitude improvement, either in terms of test error reduction for equivalent total simulation cost or reduction in total cost for equivalent error.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2026

Quantum scattering of HC 5 N and para -H 2 on a new potential energy surface

In the interstellar medium (ISM), non-local thermodynamic equilibrium situations are common due to low density, and one needs to consider the effect of molecular collisions in order to interpret the observations. Among the species detected in the ISM, cyanopolyynes, with the general molecular formula HC 2n+1 N (n = 1, 2, …), are characterized by large dipole moments and small rotational constants and constitute an indispensable class of candidates for the sensitive tracers of local density and temperature. We present a study of the collisional (de-) excitation of HC 5 N by para -H 2 (p-H 2 ) in its ground rotational state, namely HC 5 N ( j 1 ) + H 2 ( j 2 = 0) → HC 5 N (j$_1^′$) + H2 (j$_2^′$ = 0), where j 1 (or j$_1^′$) and j 2 (or j$_2^′$) denote the initial (or final) rotational quantum numbers of HC 5 N and H 2 , respectively. We performed the quantum scattering calculations at low collision energy using a new four-dimensional ab initio potential energy surface. In the regime where p-H 2 remains in its rotational ground state, converged cross sections did not require including excited rotational states of p-H 2 in the rotational basis. State-to-state cross sections were computed by means of the quantum-mechanical close-coupling (CC) method and the coupled states (CS) approximation, and rate coefficients for the first 61 levels of HC 5 N were computed for the first time up to 20 K with the CC approach and up to 50 K with the CS method. CC and CS results were found to agree well at temperatures up to 20 K. Finally, these data should allow a more accurate derivation of the HC 5 N abundance in molecular clouds.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1984

Potential energy surfaces of MH2 (M = Co, Fe, and Cu)

In many important catalytic processes, the dissociation of the hydrogen molecule is a fundamental step, and the chemisorption of dihydrogen by metal surfaces has been studied. However, quantitative results from theoretical treatments are not very encouraging. Blomberg and Siegbahn (1983) have found that the negative binding energy for NiH2 obtained with the aid of the commonly used Hartree-Fock approximation differs greatly from the result found on the basis of a more sophisticated calculation, including electron correlation. Another study showed the great importance of d orbitals in the dissociation process. A study, similar to the one on NH2, has been conducted for three other metals, including cobalt, iron, and copper. The present investigation is concerned with the results of this study. The potential surfaces of CoH2, FeH2, and CuH2 are discussed, taking into account the lowest atomic states, the bent low spin complex, the bent high spin saddle points, and the linear states.

Siegbahn, P. E. M.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Machine learning potential assisted exploration of complex defect potential energy surfaces

Abstract Atomic-scale defects generated in materials under both equilibrium and irradiation conditions can significantly impact their physical and mechanical properties. Unraveling the energetically most favorable ground-state configurations of these defects is an important step towards the fundamental understanding of their influence on the performance of materials ranging from photovoltaics to advanced nuclear fuels. Here, using fluorite-structured thorium dioxide (ThO 2 ) as an exemplar, we demonstrate how density functional theory and machine learning interatomic potential can be synergistically combined into a powerful tool that enables exhaustive exploration of the large configuration spaces of small point defect clusters. Our study leads to several unexpected discoveries, including defect polymorphism and ground-state structures that defy our physical intuitions. Possible physical origins of these unexpected findings are elucidated using a local cluster expansion model developed in this work.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗