Low Temperature Kinetics of the First Steps of Water Cluster Formation

Jérémy Bourgalais (1) , V. Roussel (1) , Michael Capron (1) , Abdessamad Benidar (1) , A. W. Jasper (2) , S. J. Klippenstein (3) , Ludovic Biennier (1) , Sébastien D. Le Picard (1)

1 IPR - Institut de Physique de Rennes
2 Sandia National Laboratories [Livermore]
3 ANL - Argonne National Laboratory [Lemont]

We present a combined experimental and theoretical low temperature kinetic study of water cluster formation. Water cluster growth takes place in low temperature (23-69 K) supersonic flows. The observed kinetics of formation of water clusters are reproduced with a kinetic model based on theoretical predictions for the first steps of clusterization. The temperature- and pressure-dependent association and dissociation rate coefficients are predicted with an ab initio transition state theory based master equation approach over a wide range of temperatures (20-100 K) and pressures (10^\-6\-10  bar)

Domaines: Physique Atmosphérique et Océanique [physics.ao-ph]; Chimie-Physique [physics.chem-ph]

Jérémy Bourgalais, V. Roussel, Michael Capron, Abdessamad Benidar, A. W. Jasper, et al.. Low Temperature Kinetics of the First Steps of Water Cluster Formation. Physical Review Letters, 2016, 116 (11), pp.113401. ⟨10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.113401⟩. ⟨hal-01301357⟩