Vector correlation between the alignment of reactant N2 (A 3Σu+) and the alignment of product NO (A 2Σ+) rotation in the energy transfer reaction of aligned N2 (A 3Σu+) + NO (X 2Π) → NO (A 2Σ+) + N2 (X 1Σg+).

The vector correlation between the alignment of reactant N2 (A (3)Σu(+)) and the alignment of product NO (A (2)Σ(+)) rotation has been studied in the energy transfer reaction of aligned N2 (A (3)Σu(+)) + NO (X (2)Π) → NO (A (2)Σ(+)) + N2 (X (1)Σg(+)) under the crossed beam condition at a collision energy of ~0.07 eV. NO (A (2)Σ(+)) emission in the two linear polarization directions (i.e., parallel and perpendicular with respect to the relative velocity vector v(R)) has been measured as a function of the alignment of N2 (A (3)Σu(+)) along its molecular axis in the collision frame. The degree of polarization of NO (A (2)Σ(+)) emission is found to depend on the alignment angle (θ(v(R))) of N2 (A (3)Σu(+)) in the collision frame. The shape of the steric opacity function at the two polarization conditions turns out to be extremely different from each other: The steric opacity function at the parallel polarization condition is more favorable for the oblique configuration of N2 (A (3)Σu(+)) at an alignment angle of θ(v(R)) ~ 45° as compared with that at the perpendicular polarization condition. The alignment of N2 (A (3)Σu(+)) is found to give a significant effect on the alignment of NO (A (2)Σ(+)) rotation in the collision frame: The N2 (A (3)Σu(+)) configuration at an oblique alignment angle θ(v(R)) ~ 45° leads to a parallel alignment of NO (A (2)Σ(+)) rotation (J-vector) with respect to v(R), while the axial and sideways configurations of N2 (A (3)Σu(+)) lead to a perpendicular alignment of NO (A (2)Σ(+)) rotation with respect to vR. These stereocorrelated alignments of the product rotation have a good correlation with the stereocorrelated reactivity observed in the multi-dimensional steric opacity function [H. Ohoyama and S. Maruyama, J. Chem. Phys. 137, 064311 (2012)].