Rotational-vibrational rainbows in impulsive electron — diatomic molecule collisions: I. state-to-state transitions

Abstract

Abstract. Collisional induced combined rotational-vibrational excitation of diatomic molecules is discussed in a simple quantum mechanical spectator model with applications to electron-molecule collisions at intermediate collision energies (,~ 10 2 eV) within the rigid rotor/harmonic oscillator approximation. Quantum mechanical transition probabilities of the rotational-vibrational excitation, which show typical vibrational and rotational rainbow patterns, are calculated and compared with the structure of classical rainbow singularities.