Phase Space Reaction Dynamics Associated with an Index-2 Saddle Point for Time-Dependent Hamiltonian Systems

Abstract

We analyze benchmark models for reaction dynamics associated with a time-dependent index-2 saddle point. The influence of index-2 saddle points on chemical reaction dynamics has received a great deal of attention in recent years and we extend this work in a new and important direction. Our model allows us to incorporate time dependence of a general form, subject to an exponential growth restriction. Under these conditions, we analytically compute the time-dependent normally hyperbolic invariant manifold and its time-dependent stable and unstable manifolds. These time-dependent phase space structures allow us to quantitatively determine the effect of the time dependence on reacting and nonreacting trajectories.