Effects of complex formation on reactions of oxygen with HCl and Ar-HCl

Classical trajectory simulations are used to investigate reactions of HCl a nd Ar-HCl with atomic oxygen in its ground and first excited states. We foc us on the effects of complex formation on reaction cross sections and produ ct state distributions over a range of collision energies. At low collision energies, the argon atom inhibits the formation of the H-O-Cl collision co mplex and lowers the reaction cross sections. At higher collision energies, the argon atom removes energy from the collision complex, thereby lowering the effective collision energy and increasing the cross sections for react ion. In general, the product state distributions, resulting from reactions of complexes, are shifted to lower energies than the product state distribu tions of corresponding O + HCl reactions. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. Al l rights reserved.