Molecular square dancing in CO-CO collisions

Abstract

Molecule-molecule forward scattering The classical picture of nonreactive inelastic scattering implies that a considerable transfer of translational to rotational energy should be accompanied by backward scattering. Using cross–molecular beam scattering combined with velocity map imaging, Sun et al. provide evidence of an unusual pair-correlated channel in the collision of carbon monoxide (CO) molecules, specifically 13 CO with 12 CO, both initially in the ground rotational state. These two molecules were scattered into the forward direction, both finally in the high rotational states. The experimental work is supported by quasiclassical trajectory simulations that exhibit unexpected molecular dance moves and suggest that similar effects could be expected for other molecule-molecule scattering systems. Science this issue p. 307