Dynamics of Inelastic and Reactive Collisions of ¹⁶O(³P) with ¹⁵N¹⁸O

The dynamics of O(³P) + NO collisions were investigated at a collision energy of ⟨E_coll⟩ = 84.0 kcal mol^-1 with the use of a crossed molecular beams apparatus employing a rotatable mass spectrometer detector. This experiment was performed with beams of ¹⁶O atoms and isotopically labeled ¹⁵N¹⁸O molecules to enable the products of reactive and inelastic scattering to be distinguished. Three scattering pathways were observed: inelastic scattering (¹⁶O + ¹⁵N¹⁸O), O-atom exchange (¹⁸O + ¹⁵N¹⁶O), and O-atom abstraction (¹⁸O¹⁶O + ¹⁵N). All product channels exhibited a preponderance of forward scattering, but scattering over a broad angular range was also observed for all products. For inelastic scattering, an average of 90% of the collision energy is retained in the translation of ¹⁶O and ¹⁵N¹⁸O. On the other hand, for O-atom exchange (which also leads to O + NO products), the collision energy is partitioned roughly evenly between the translation of ¹⁸O + ¹⁵N¹⁶O and the internal excitation of ¹⁵N¹⁶O. The available energy for O-atom abstraction is significantly lower than the collision energy because of the endoergicity of this reaction, but the available energy is again roughly evenly partitioned between the translation of ¹⁸O¹⁶O + ¹⁵N and the internal excitation of the molecular (O₂) product. The relative yields of the three scattering pathways were determined to be 0.751 for inelastic scattering, 0.220 for O-atom exchange, and 0.029 for O-atom abstraction.