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Combining statistics and scattering calculations for improved predictions of molecular collision observables

University of British Columbia

This thesis describes four types of cold molecular collision systems with increasing complexity: from simple atom-diatomic molecule to complicated polyatomic molecule-polyatomic molecule. The early thesis work is concerned with three open questions pertaining to collision dynamics of cold molecules. We demonstrate the possibility of controlling collisional decoherence of ultracold molecules by tuning an external magnetic field. We then provide insight into the feasibility of evaporative cooling of molecules, and for the first time incorporate the uncertainty analysis of the potential energy surface (PES) into scattering calculations. In addition, we use classical trajectory methods to study the effects of the interaction strength and the geometry of rigid polyatomic molecules on the formation of long-lived collision complexes at low collision energies. The second half of the thesis work is focused on combining statistical methodology and scattering calculations to address two major problems in molecular dynamics calculations: increasing computational complexity and uncertainties due to inaccuracies of PES. Using a small number of scattering calculations, we show that we can build a Gaussian Process (GP) model to statistically approximate collision outcomes for complex molecules, and then perform the uncertainty analysis and the sensitivity analysis. We also demonstrate that trained by a combination of classical and quantum calculations, a GP model can provide an accurate description of the quantum scattering cross sections, even near scattering resonances.

Text

2015-08-11

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 Canada

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/54351

Chemistry

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ca/