Analysis of the resonance in H+D-2 -> HD (nu '=3)+D

The resonance recently observed by Fernandez-Alonso et al. at a total energ y of 1.83 eV for H + D-2 (upsilon = j = 0) --> HD(upsilon' = 3,j' = 0)+ D i s analyzed in terms of a locally vibrationally adiabatic model. The resonan ce is assigned as a upsilon(1) = 3, upsilon(2) = 0 vibrational state of a D -DH complex with total angular momentum quantum numbers of about 20, and it is associated with a vibrationally adiabatic barrier at a D-D distance of 2.9 to 3.1 a(0). The assignment explains the preferential decay into the up silon' = 3, j' = 0 state of HD. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.