Resonance-mediated chemical reaction: F + HD → HF + D
R. T. Skodje, D. Skouteris, D. E. Manolopoulos, S.-H. Lee, F. Dong., and K. Liu
Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 1206 (2000)

Conclusive evidence is presented for the existence of a reactive resonance in the F + HD reaction. In a molecular beam experiment, the resonance appears in the integral cross section as a distinct steplike feature, while in the differential cross section it is manifested as sharply varying forward-backward peaks in the product distribution. A detailed analysis of the quantum dynamics establishes that a reactive resonance localized in the transition-state region is responsible for these remarkable observations. At collision energies below 1 kcal/mole, the reaction proceeds almost exclusively through resonant tunneling with very little contribution from the more conventional direct mechanism.