Transition state theory Born-Oppenheimer approach

The ability to predict accurate potential surfaces means that we are in a position to investigate the nature of the kinetic barriers, including the activated complexes, of key surface processes. In fact, Born-Oppenheimer potential surfaces can be used not only with the transition-state approach to kinetics but also with the much more general and exact collision theory (e.g., scattering S-matrix ilieory). While methods based on collision and scattering theory have pointed out deficiencies in the traditional transition-state theory (TST), they have also served to uphold many of TST s simple claims. In turn, new generalized transition state theories have been born. For complex systems, the transition-dale approach, while admittedly approximate, has been well established. 

The theory of multi-oscillator electron transitions developed in the works [1, 2, 5-7] is based on the Born-Oppenheimer s adiabatic approach where the electron and nuclear variables are divided. Therefore, the matrix element describing the transition is a product of the electron and oscillator matrix elements. The oscillator matrix element depends only on overlapping of the initial and final vibration wave functions and does not depend on the electron transition type. The basic assumptions of the adiabatic approach and the approximate oscillator terms of the nuclear subsystem are considered in the following section. Then, in the subsequent sections, it will be shown that many vibrations take part in the transition due to relative change of the vibration system in the initial and final states. This change is defined by the following factors the displacement of the equilibrium positions in the... 

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