Classical dynamics of H2O vibrational self-relaxation.

The vibrational self-relaxation rate constants of the (001), (100), (020), and (010) states of H2O from 295 to 2500 K are calculated, using ∼1.6 × 10(6) classical trajectories with Gaussian binning for determining product vibrational quantum numbers. The calculations use a new H2O-H2O potential surface obtained by fitting 1.25 × 10(5) ab initio geometry points at the CCSD(T)//cc-pvtz level of theory. The resulting vibrational self-relaxation rate constants are generally within a factor of 2 of the measured data, which are large in magnitude and tend to increase with decreasing temperature. At lower temperatures, the calculations show long-lived (20 ps and longer) H2O-H2O collision complexes which accompany vibrational relaxation. Product rotational and translational energy distributions are investigated, and joint vibrational state and molecule-specific relaxation rate constants are presented.

Classical dynamics of state-resolved hyperthermal O((3)P) + H2O((1)A1) collisions.

Classical dynamics calculations are performed for O((3)P) + H2O((1)A1) collisions from 2 to 10 km s(-1) (4.1-101.3 kcal mol(-1)), focusing on product internal energies. Several methods are used to produce ro-vibrationally state-resolved product cross sections and to enforce zero-point maintenance from analysis of the classical trajectories. Two potential energy surfaces are used: (1) a recently developed set of global reactive surfaces for the three lowest triplet states which model OH formation, H elimination to make H + OOH, O-atom exchange, and collisional excitation and (2) a non-reactive surface used in past classical and quantum collision studies. Comparisons to these previous studies suggest that for H2O vibrational excitation, classical dynamics which include gaussian binning procedures and/or selected zero-point maintenance algorithms can produce results which approximate quantum scattering cross sections fairly well. Without these procedures, the classical cross sections can be many orders of magnitude greater than the quantum cross sections for exciting the bending vibration of H2O, especially near threshold. The classical cross section over-estimate is due to energy borrowing from stretching modes which dip below zero-point values. For results on the reactive surfaces, the present calculations show that at higher velocities there is an unusually large amount of product internal excitation. For OOH, where 40% of available collision energy goes into internal motion, the excited product vibrational and rotational energy distributions are relatively flat and values of the OOH rotational angular momentum exceed J = 100. Other product channel distributions show an exponential fall-off with energy consistent with an energy gap law. The present detailed distributions and cross sections can serve as a guide for future hyperthermal measurements of this system.

Collision dynamics of O(3P) + DMMP using a specific reaction parameters potential form.

Starting from previous benchmark CBS-QB3 electronic structure calculations (Conforti, P. F.; Braunstein, M.; Dodd, J. A. J. Phys. Chem. A 2009, 113, 13752), we develop two global potential energy surfaces for O((3)P) + DMMP collisions, using the specific reaction parameters approach. Each surface is simultaneously fit along the three major reaction pathways: hydrogen abstraction, hydrogen elimination, and methyl elimination. We then use these surfaces in classical dynamics simulations and compute reactive cross sections from 4 to 10 km s(-1) collision velocity. We examine the energy disposal and angular distributions of the reactive and nonreactive products. We find that for reactive collisions, an unusually large amount of the initial collision energy is transformed into internal energy. We analyze the nonreactive and reactive product internal energy distributions, many of which fit Boltzmann temperatures up to ~2000 K.

Global potential energy surfaces for O((3)P) + H2O((1)A1) collisions.

Global analytic potential energy surfaces for O((3)P) + H(2)O((1)A(1)) collisions, including the OH + OH hydrogen abstraction and H + OOH hydrogen elimination channels, are presented. Ab initio electronic structure calculations were performed at the CASSCF + MP2 level with an O(4s3p2d1f)/H(3s2p) one electron basis set. Approximately 10(5) geometries were used to fit the three lowest triplet adiabatic states corresponding to the triply degenerate O((3)P) + H(2)O((1)A(1)) reactants. Transition state theory rate constant and total cross section calculations using classical trajectories to collision energies up to 120 kcal mol(-1) (∼11 km s(-1) collision velocity) were performed and show good agreement with experimental data. Flux-velocity contour maps are presented at selected energies for H(2)O collisional excitation, OH + OH, and H + OOH channels to further investigate the dynamics, especially the competition and distinct dynamics of the two reactive channels. There are large differences in the contributions of each of the triplet surfaces to the reactive channels, especially at higher energies. The present surfaces should support quantitative modeling of O((3)P) + H(2)O((1)A(1)) collision processes up to ∼150 kcal mol(-1).

Energetics and dynamics of the reactions of O(3P) with dimethyl methylphosphonate and sarin.

Electronic structure and molecular dynamics calculations were performed on the reaction systems O((3)P) + sarin and O((3)P) + dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP), a sarin simulant. Transition state geometries, energies, and heats of reaction for the major reaction pathways were determined at several levels of theory, including AM1, B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p), and CBS-QB3. The major reaction pathways for both systems are similar and include H-atom abstraction, H-atom elimination, and methyl elimination, in rough order from low to high energy. The H-atom abstraction channels have fairly low barriers (approximately 10 kcal mol(-1)) and are close to thermoneutral, while the other channels have relatively high energy barriers (>40 kcal mol(-1)) and a wide range of reaction enthalpies. We have also found a two-step pathway leading to methyl elimination through O-atom attack on the phosphorus atom for DMMP and sarin. For sarin, the two-step methyl elimination pathway is significantly lower in energy than the single-step pathway. We also present results of O((3)P) + sarin and O((3)P) + DMMP reaction cross sections over a broad range of collision energies (2-10 km s(-1) collision velocities) obtained using the direct dynamics method with an AM1 semiempirical potential. These excitation functions are intended as an approximate guide to future hyperthermal measurements, which to our knowledge have not yet examined either of these systems. The reaction barriers, reaction enthalpies, transition state structures, and excitation functions are generally similar for DMMP and sarin, with some moderate differences for methyl elimination energetics, which indicates DMMP will likely be a good substitute for sarin in many O((3)P) chemical investigations.

Hyperthermal atomic oxygen source for near-space simulation experiments.

A hyperthermal atomic oxygen (AO) beam facility has been developed to investigate the collisions of high-velocity AO atoms with vapor-phase counterflow. Application of 4.5 kW, 2.4 GHz microwave power in the source chamber creates a continuous discharge in flowing O(2) gas. The O(2) feedstock is introduced into the source chamber in a vortex flow to constrain the plasma to the center region, with the chamber geometry promoting resonant excitation of the TM(011) mode to localize the energy deposition in the vicinity of the aluminum nitride (AlN) expansion nozzle. The approximately 3500 K environment serves to dissociate the O(2), resulting in an effluent consisting of 40% AO by number density. Downstream of the nozzle, a silicon carbide (SiC) skimmer selects the center portion of the discharge effluent, prior to the expansion reaching the first shock front and rethermalizing, creating a beam with a derived 2.5 km s(-1) velocity. Differential pumping of the skimmer chamber, an optional intermediate chamber and reaction chamber maintains a reaction chamber pressure in the mid-10(-6) to mid-10(-5) Torr range. The beam has been characterized with regard to total AO beam flux, O(2) dissociation fraction, and AO spatial profile using time-of-flight mass spectrometric and Kapton-H erosion measurements. A series of reactions AO+C(n)H(2n) (n=2-4) has been studied under single-collision conditions using mass spectrometric product detection, and at higher background pressure detecting dispersed IR emissions from primary and secondary products using a step-scan Michelson interferometer. In a more recent AO crossed-beam experiment, number densities and predicted IR emission intensities have been modeled using the direct simulation Monte Carlo technique. The results have been used to guide the experimental conditions. IR emission intensity predictions are compared to detected signal levels to estimate absolute reaction cross sections.

A molecular dynamics study of the effects of the inclusion of dopants on ablation in polymethyl methacrylate.

Molecular dynamics simulations are used to elucidate mechanisms of ablation in dopant-polymer systems. In one set of simulations, a uniform distribution of thermal absorbers are added to a polymethyl methacrylate substrate and are excited. Chemical decomposition occurs in the regions near the absorbers. Ejection of large pieces of substrate then follows the thermo-chemical breakdown of material. In another set of simulations, an absorbing cluster is embedded in the polymethyl methacrylate substrate at a depth of 50 or 250 A. Only the particles comprising the cluster are excited during the laser pulse. Ejection of material is initiated upon the fracture of the cluster and the cleavage of the surrounding polymer bonds with little chemical damage during the process. These two mechanisms of ejection suggest different pathways of ablation in doped polymer materials.

Elucidating the thermal, chemical, and mechanical mechanisms of ultraviolet ablation in poly(methyl methacrylate) via molecular dynamics simulations.

[Figure: see text]. Laser ablation harnesses photon energy to remove material from a surface. Although applications such as laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) surgery, lithography, and nanoscale device fabrication take advantage of this process, a better understanding the underlying mechanism of ablation in polymeric materials remains much sought after. Molecular simulation is a particularly attractive technique to study the basic aspects of ablation because it allows control over specific process parameters and enables observation of microscopic mechanistic details. This Account describes a hybrid molecular dynamics-Monte Carlo technique to simulate laser ablation in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). It also discusses the impact of thermal and chemical excitation on the ensuing ejection processes. We used molecular dynamics simulation to study the molecular interactions in a coarse-grained PMMA substrate following photon absorption. To ascertain the role of chemistry in initiating ablation, we embedded a Monte Carlo protocol within the simulation framework. These calculations permit chemical reactions to occur probabilistically during the molecular dynamics calculation using predetermined reaction pathways and Arrhenius rates. With this hybrid scheme, we can examine thermal and chemical pathways of decomposition separately. In the simulations, we observed distinct mechanisms of ablation for each type of photoexcitation pathway. Ablation via thermal processes is governed by a critical number of bond breaks following the deposition of energy. For the case in which an absorbed photon directly causes a bond scission, ablation occurs following the rapid chemical decomposition of material. A detailed analysis of the processes shows that a critical energy for ablation can describe this complex series of events. The simulations show a decrease in the critical energy with a greater amount of photochemistry. Additionally, the simulations demonstrate the effects of the energy deposition rate on the ejection mechanism. When the energy is deposited rapidly, not allowing for mechanical relaxation of the sample, the formation of a pressure wave and subsequent tensile wave dominates the ejection process. This study provides insight into the influence of thermal, chemical, and mechanical processes in PMMA and facilitates greater understanding of the complex nature of polymer ablation. These simulations complement experiments that have used chemical design to harness the photochemical properties of materials to enhance laser ablation. We successfully fit the results of the simulations to established analytical models of both photothermal and photochemical ablation and demonstrate their relevance. Although the simulations are for PMMA, the mechanistic concepts are applicable to a large range of systems and provide a conceptual foundation for interpretation of experimental data.

Coupled molecular dynamics-Monte Carlo model to study the role of chemical processes during laser ablation of polymeric materials.

The coarse grained chemical reaction model is enhanced to build a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation framework with an embedded Monte Carlo (MC) based reaction scheme. The MC scheme utilizes predetermined reaction chemistry, energetics, and rate kinetics of materials to incorporate chemical reactions occurring in a substrate into the MD simulation. The kinetics information is utilized to set the probabilities for the types of reactions to perform based on radical survival times and reaction rates. Implementing a reaction involves changing the reactants species types which alters their interaction potentials and thus produces the required energy change. We discuss the application of this method to study the initiation of ultraviolet laser ablation in poly(methyl methacrylate). The use of this scheme enables the modeling of all possible photoexcitation pathways in the polymer. It also permits a direct study of the role of thermal, mechanical, and chemical processes that can set off ablation. We demonstrate that the role of laser induced heating, thermomechanical stresses, pressure wave formation and relaxation, and thermochemical decomposition of the polymer substrate can be investigated directly by suitably choosing the potential energy and chemical reaction energy landscape. The results highlight the usefulness of such a modeling approach by showing that various processes in polymer ablation are intricately linked leading to the transformation of the substrate and its ejection. The method, in principle, can be utilized to study systems where chemical reactions are expected to play a dominant role or interact strongly with other physical processes.

Breathing mode dynamics and elastic properties of gold nanoparticles.

We present calculations of the bulk modulus, heat capacity, and the period of the breathing mode for spherical nanoparticles following excitation by ultrafast laser pulses. The bulk modulus and heat capacities both exhibit clear transitions upon bulk melting of the particles. Equilibrium calculations of the heat capacity show that the melting transition is sharper and occurs at a lower temperature than one would observe from an ultrafast experiment. We also observe an intriguing splitting in the low-frequency spectra of the nanoparticles and analyze this splitting in terms of Lamb's classical theory of elastic spheres. We conclude that the particles either (1) melt during the observation period following laser excitation or (2) melt an outer shell while maintaining a crystalline core. Both mechanisms for melting are commensurate with our observations.