Influence of reagent rotation on exchange reaction rates in the $\mathrm{Li} + \mathrm{Li_2^*(A^1\Sigma_u^+)}$ system

We have measured collision-induced level-to-level inelastic and reactive rate constants for the system \begin{equation} \ ^7\mathrm{Li}_2^*(\mathrm{A}^1\mathrm{\Sigma}_u^+)(v_i,j_i)+\ ^7\mathrm{Li} \rightarrow \ ^7\mathrm{Li}+\ ^7\mathrm{Li}_2^*(\mathrm{A}^1\mathrm{\Sigma}_u^+)(v_f,j_f) \end{equation} under single-collision conditions at a temperature of 933K. The experiment was conducted for $j_i = $ 3 - 64 and $v_i =$ 2 - 5. We report over 1400 level-to-level inelastic and reactive rate constants with $-5\le \Delta v \le 2$ and $-40\le \Delta j \le 50$ . By varying initial rotational energy by more than two orders of magnitude, we are able to report the effect of initial molecular rotation on reactive energy transfer in $\mathrm{Li}_2-\mathrm{Li}$ collisions for the first time and compare the results with theory. Reactive $j_f$-distributions are well modeled by a modified statistical theory. We employ quasiclassical trajectory simulations in conjunction with Reverse Monte Carlo methods to fit a modified LEPS potential surface to our experimental data. Simulations using this fitted potential surface allow us to compare the $j_i$ dependence of total reactive cross sections with theory.