Mean-atom-trajectory model for the velocity autocorrelation function of monatomic liquids

We present a model for the motion of an average atom in a liquid or supercooled liquid state and apply it to calculations of the velocity autocorrelation function $Z(t)$ and diffusion coefficient $D$. The model trajectory consists of oscillations at a distribution of frequencies characteristic of the normal modes of a single potential valley, interspersed with position- and velocity-conserving transits to similar adjacent valleys. The resulting predictions for $Z(t)$ and $D$ agree remarkably well with MD simulations of Na at up to almost three times its melting temperature. Two independent processes in the model relax velocity autocorrelations: (a) dephasing due to the presence of many frequency components, which operates at all temperatures but which produces no diffusion, and (b) the transit process, which increases with increasing temperature and which produces diffusion. Because the model provides a single-atom trajectory in real space and time, including transits, it may be used to calculate all single-atom correlation functions.Comment: LaTeX, 8 figs. This is an updated version of cond-mat/0002057 and cond-mat/0002058 combined Minor changes made to coincide with published versio

Quantum Effects in Unimolecular Reaction Dynamics

This work is primarily concerned with the development of models for the quantum dynamics of unimolecular isomerization and photodissociation reactions. We apply the rigorous quantum methodology of a Discrete Variable Representation (DVR) with Absorbing Boundary Conditions (ABC) to these models in an attempt to explain some very surprising results from a series of experiments on vibrationally excited ketene. Within the framework of these models, we are able to identify the experimental signatures of tunneling and dynamical resonances in the energy dependence of the rate of ketene isomerization. Additionally, we investigate the step-like features in the energy dependence of the rate of dissociation of triplet ketene to form {sup 3}B{sub 1} CH{sub 2} + {sup 1}{sigma}{sup +} CO that have been observed experimentally. These calculations provide a link between ab initio calculations of the potential energy surfaces and the experimentally observed dynamics on these surfaces. Additionally, we develop an approximate model for the partitioning of energy in the products of photodissociation reactions of large molecules with appreciable barriers to recombination. In simple bond cleavage reactions like CH{sub 3}COCl {yields} CH{sub 3}CO + Cl, the model does considerably better than other impulsive and statistical models in predicting the energy distribution in the products. We also investigate ways of correcting classical mechanics to include the important quantum mechanical aspects of zero-point energy. The method we investigate is found to introduce a number of undesirable dynamical artifacts including a reduction in the above-threshold rates for simple reactions, and a strong mixing of the chaotic and regular energy domains for some model problems. We conclude by discussing some of the directions for future research in the field of theoretical chemical dynamics