Energy Transfer in Molecular Collisions

Computational studies of energy transfer in models of molecular collisions are presented and analyzed qualitatively and semi‐quantitatively. Particular attention is given to those approximations where the leading term is already in good qualitative agreement with the exact numerical results. In particular, results for the distorted wave approximation in an adiabatic basis are reported and compared with the exact results. It is argued that for slow molecular collisions, the efficiency of the transfer is determined by the “Franck Condon” overlap near the repulsive part of the intermolecular potential.