Dynamical evolution of quantum scattering in mutual neutralization from the meV/u to the keV/u regime
Phys. Rev. A 114, 042815 – Published 19 October, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/nqp6-5jwv
Abstract
Using a fully quantum molecular-orbital close-coupling approach with ab initio potentials, we evaluate the dynamical evolution of reaction mechanisms in mutual neutralization across collision energies from to . At lower energies (), long-range Coulomb focusing dictates the scattering dynamics, resulting in cross sections that approximately follow an dependence and yield a dominant capture channel. In the intermediate regime (0.1 to ), coherent multipathway interference generates pronounced Stueckelberg oscillations. Above , short-range interactions within likely activate additional transition pathways, driving multichannel redistribution toward the and states. Neglecting these inner-region dynamics underestimates the total cross section by at . These results reveal the limitations of conventional Landau-Zener descriptions across broad energy regimes and establish a unified quantum picture connecting long-range Coulomb capture, quantum interference, and short-range multichannel state redistribution in mutual neutralization processes.