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The reaction of chlorine atom Cl(2P) (Cl(2P3/2) and Cl∗(2P1/2)) with D2 was investigated at collision energy from 4.5 kcal/mol to 6.5 kcal/mol with a high-resolution crossed molecular beam apparatus using the technique of D-atom Rydberg tagging detection. The contribution from the spin-orbit excited reaction Cl∗(2P1/2)+D2, which is prohibited by Born-Oppenheimer (BO) approximation, was observed. Collision-energy dependence of differential cross sections (DCSs) near the backward scattering direction was measured. The BO-forbidden reaction Cl∗+D2 was found to be dominant at lower collision energy. As collision energy increases, reactivity of BO-allowed reaction Cl+D2 increases much faster than that of BO-forbidden reaction and becomes dominant at higher collision energy. Our experiment indicates that the additional energy of spin-orbit excitation in Cl∗ facilitates BO-forbidden reaction to pass through the barrier at lower collision energy, while BO approximation is still valid at collision energy near and above the reaction barrier. This tendency of reactivity of Cl/Cl∗+D2 is similar to the isotopic reaction of Cl/Cl∗+H2.

The reaction dynamics of the fluorine atom with vibrationally excited D2(v=1, j=0) was investigated using the crossed beam method. The scheme of stimulated Raman pumping was employed for preparation of vibrationally excited D2 molecules. Contribution from the reaction of spin-orbit excited F*(2P1/2) with vibrationally excited D2 was not found. Reaction of spin-orbit ground F(2P3/2) with vibrationally excited D2 was measured and DF products populated in v′=2, 3, 4, 5 were observed. Compared with the vibrationally ground reaction, DF products from the vibrationally excited reaction of F(2P3/2)+D2(v=1, j=0) are rotationally “hotter”. Differential cross sections at four collision energies, ranging from 0.32 kcal/mol to 2.62 kcal/mol, were obtained. Backward scattering dominates for DF products in all vibrational levels at the lowest collision energy of 0.32 kcal/mol. As the collision energy increases, angular distribution of DF products gradually shifts from backward to sideway. The collision-energy dependence of differential cross section of DF(v′=5) at forward direction was also measured. Forward-scattered signal of DF(v′=5) appears at the collision energy of 1.0 kcal/mol, and becomes dominated at 2.62 kcal/mol.