TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENCE AND DYNAMICAL INSTABILITY IN THE HARTLEY ABSORPTION SYSTEM OF OZONE

Analysis of weak oscillations in the Hartley absorption system of ozon e via the equivalent recurrences in the autocorrelation function is fo und to reveal a clear temperature effect. Previous classical trajector y studies of unstable nearly periodic orbits associated with these osc illations/ recurrences are extended to examine the possibility that st rong sensitivity to initial rotational conditions is responsible. Usin g minimum return distance in phase space as an expedient measure for t he stability of the orbits, evidence is found for particular destabili zation due to in-plane rotations of the ozone molecule. A model for th e recurrence temperature dependence is constructed based on this mecha nism, and the implications for comparison of theoretical and experimen tal recurrence intensities are discussed. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics.