Chemistry with stretched molecules

Abstract

It has been known for some years that molecular oxygen is produced in very high vibrational states by the photolysis of ozone in the middle atmosphere and the possible atmospheric implications of highly exicted oxygen have been the subject of extensive investigation. This short article describes the latest experimental and theoretical advances regarding this problem. The collision dynamics of O₂(v≲20) now appears to be well understood; however, at higher vibrational levels, which are energetically local to the hypothesized O₄ complex and to the transition state for O + O₃ formation, much work is still needed.