REACTION YIELDS IN INTRAMOLECULAR DISSIPATIVE KINETICS

Intramolecular dissipation has recently been invoked by Schlag, Grotem eyer and Levine to interpret dynamical processes in highly excited lar ge molecules. In such problems there is diffusive motion in the presen ce of a potential. In addition, there are two (or more) reaction proce sses which proceed at a finite rate. We present the solution of the Sm oluchowski equation for the yields (branching fractions) of the reacti ons and consider its various limiting forms. When reaction is much fas ter than diffusion, the result of Schlag et al. is recovered. In the o pposite limit the reaction yield corresponds to that obtained from a s imple kinetic scheme. The two limiting forms also correspond to ''kine tic control'' and ''thermodynamic control'' of physical organic chemis try. The derivation is equally valid if the source of dissipation is i ntermolecular.