State densities and time delay in molecular collisions

Abstract

Recent developments in quantum and classical N-body time delay theory and, in particular, the spectral property are presented. The discussion is oriented towards problems of chemical physics interest and the physical insight afforded by the spectral property. The full spectral property and its utility in the classical limit are reviewed for collinear atom-diatom collisions. In addition, the channel specific spectral property and its classical analogue are presented and preliminary numerical studies, designed to assess the usefulness of this new relationship, are discussed.