Steric effects in state-to-state scattering of OH (2pi(3/2),J=3/2,f) by HCl

In this paper we address stereo-dynamical issues in the inelastic encounters between OH (chi2pi) radicals and HCl (chi1sigma+). The experiments were performed in a crossed molecular-beam machine at the nominal collision energy of 920 cm(-1). Prior to the collisions, the OH molecules were selected using a hexapole in a well-defined rotational state v=0, omega=32, J=32, M(J)=32, f, and subsequently oriented in a homogeneous electrical field. We have measured rotationally resolved relative cross sections for collisions in which OH is oriented with either the O side or the H side towards HCl, from which we have calculated the corresponding steric asymmetry factors S. The results are presented in comparison with data previously obtained by our group for the inelastic scattering of OH by CO (E(coll)=985 cm(-1)) and N2 (E(coll)=985 cm(-1)) studied under similar experimental conditions. The dissimilarity in the behavior of the OH+HCl system revealed by this comparison is explained on the basis of the difference in the anisotropy of the interaction potential governing the collisions. The interpretation of the data takes into account the specific features of both nonreactive and reactive parts of the potential-energy surface. The results indicate that the scattering dynamics at this collision energy may be influenced by the HO-HCl van der Waals well and by reorientation effects determined by the long-range electrostatic forces and, furthermore, may involve reactive collisions.