Quantum scattering of NO A2Σ+ + Ne: Benchmarking the potential energy surface of the collision complex

A new van der Waals potential energy surface (PES) for the NO A2Σ+ + Ne collision complex is reported. This system provides a great test for electronic structure by directly contrasting exact quantum scattering simulations on generated potential energy surfaces with the experiment. The need for a new PES for this system is apparent due to discrepancies in calculated differential cross sections for inelastic rotational scattering on older PESs compared to recent experimental data. We thus perform a detailed benchmarking of the effects of electron correlation, basis set size and type, core correlation, non-Born-Oppenheimer effects, and relativistic effects. Following this, we then construct a new PES and compare time-independent quantum scattering on this new potential to two older ones. Agreement with the experiment is improved on the new PES but still not exact at all scattering energies.