This prrper is dedicated to Professor John C. Polnnyi on the occasion of his 65th birthday DALE L. HERBERTSON, DAVID A. NEWNHAM, and MARTIN R. LEVY. Can. J. Chem. 72, 850 (1994). A laser-ablated pulsed beam of Mn atoms, in various long-lived states, has been employed to determine excitation functions for the reactions Mn + SnCI4 + MnCI* ("blue," "green," "red") + SnC13. The data all show a sharp rise at low energies, followed by an equally rapid fall, but they differ in the initial thresholds and the rate at which u(ET) approaches zero. Analysis in terms of a multiple line-of-centres model (Levy, Res. Chem. Kinet. 1, 163 (1993)) indicates that each excitation function is unique, and is due to reaction of only one Mn reagent state -most probably the first metastable state, n6DJ. This suggests a strong symmetry control in the entrance channel of the reaction, at least; that is, the Mn atom approaches along the C3 axis of SnCI4, so that the symmetry corresponding to the spatial configuration of the odd d electron is retained. In two cases, "blue" and "red," if not all, the luminescing MnC1" state seems to be produced on a surface that does not directly correlate with the reagents. As collision energy increases in each case, the reaction transition state seems to shift forward into the entrance valley, a result attributed to restricted access to the exit valley. DALE L. HERBERTSON, DAVID A. NEWNHAM et MARTIN R. LEVY. Can. J. Chem. 72,850 (1994). On a utilist un faisceau pulst d'atomes de Mn, obtenus par ablation au laser et prCsents dans divers ttats de longue durte, pour dtterminer les fonctions d'excitation de la rCaction Mn + SnC14 + MnCl* (<, I'ttat MnCl* luminescent semble &tre produit sur une surface qui n'est pas en corrtlation directe avec les rtactifs. Lorsque l'tnergie de collision augmente dans chaque cas, I'ttat de transition de la rtaction semble se dtplacer vers I'nvant, dans la vallte d'entrte; ce rtsultat est attribut B un accks limit6 i la vallte de sortie.[Traduit par la rtdaction]