Spin-orbit quenching of the C+(2P) ion by collisions with para- and ortho-H2

Spin-orbit (de-)excitation of C(+)((2)P) by collisions with H2, a key process for astrochemistry, is investigated. Quantum-mechanical calculations of collisions between C(+) ions and para- and ortho-H2 have been performed in order to determine the cross section for the C(+) (2)P3∕2 → (2)P1∕2 fine-structure transition at low and intermediate energies. The calculation are based on new ab initio potential energy surfaces obtained using the multireference configuration interaction method. Corresponding rate coefficients were obtained for temperatures ranging from 5 to 500 K. These rate coefficients are compared to previous estimations, and their impact is assessed through radiative transfer computation. They are found to increase the flux of the (2)P3∕2 → (2)P1∕2 line at 158 μm by up to 30% for typical diffuse interstellar cloud conditions.

Prediction of the existence of the N2H- molecular anion

We predict the existence of the N(2)H(-) anion from first principle calculations. We present the three-dimensional potential energy surface and the bound states of the N(2)H(-)/D(-) van der Waals anion. The electronic calculations were performed using state-of-the-art ab initio methods and the nuclear motions were solved using a quantum close-coupling scattering theory. A T-shaped equilibrium structure was found, with a well depth of 349.1 cm(-1), where 18 bound states have been located for N(2)H(-) and 25 for N(2)D(-) for total angular momentum J = 0. We also present the absorption spectra of the N(2)H(-) complex. This anion could be formed after low energy collisions between N(2) and H(-) through radiative association. The importance of this prediction in astrophysics and the possible use of N(2)H(-) as a tracer of N(2) and H(-) in the interstellar medium is discussed.

O+OH-->O(2)+H: A key reaction for interstellar chemistry. New theoretical results and comparison with experiment

We report extensive, fully quantum, time-independent (TID) calculations of cross sections at low collision energies and rate constants at low temperatures for the O+OH reaction, of key importance in the production of molecular oxygen in cold, dark, interstellar clouds and in the chemistry of the Earth's atmosphere. Our calculations are compared with TID calculations within the J-shifting approximation, with wave-packet calculations, and with quasiclassical trajectory calculations. The fully quantum TID calculations yield rate constants higher than those from the more approximate methods and are qualitatively consistent with a low-temperature extrapolation of earlier experimental values but not with the most recent experiments at the lowest temperatures.

Cross sections and rate constants for the C(P3)+OH(XΠ2)→CO(XΣ+1)+H(S2) reaction using a quasiclassical trajectory method

First quasiclassical trajectory calculations have been carried out for the C(3P)+OH(X 2Pi)-->CO(X 1Sigma+)+H(2S) reaction using a recent ab initio potential energy surface for the ground electronic state, X 2A', of HCO/COH. Total and state-specific integral cross sections have been determined for a wide range of collision energies (0.001-1 eV). Then, thermal and state-specific rate constants have been calculated in the 1-500 K temperature range. The thermal rate constant varies from 1.78x10(-10) cm3 s-1 at 1 K down to 5.96x10(-11) cm3 s-1 at 500 K with a maximum value of 3.39x10(-10) cm3 s-1 obtained at 7 K. Cross sections and rate constants are found to be almost independent of the rovibrational state of OH.

Cross sections and low temperature rate coefficients for the H + CH+reaction: a quasiclassical trajectory study

The H + CH(+) reaction is studied by quasiclassical trajectory (QCT) calculations, along with phase space theory (PST) and quantum rigid rotor calculations, employing a global single-valued potential energy surface recently derived by our group. We report QCT total cross sections for each of the three channels, for low collision energies and different reactant rotational quantum numbers. At the lowest collision energies, all cross sections exhibit a capture-like behaviour, as expected from a barrierless reaction. At higher energies, there are important dynamical effects coming from the opening of new channels in the inelastic and reactive exchange collisions. The inelastic cross sections turn out to largely increase, while the reactive abstraction cross sections are declining faster than predicted by the capture theory. A large value of the reactant rotational quantum number tends to suppress these dynamical effects. The QCT rate coefficients are reported for a temperature range from 1-700 K. Below 20 K, the abstraction and exchange QCT rate coefficients are almost constant, as predicted by the capture theory. Above this temperature, the abstraction rate coefficient declines, while the exchange and inelastic rate coefficients are increasing, due to the opening of new channels. A good agreement is observed between the experimental abstraction rate coefficient and the QCT and PST ones. The QCT inelastic results are also compared with those obtained from rigid rotor close coupling (CCRR) calculations in order to check the ability of this approach to provide a reliable estimate of the inelastic rate coefficients for a reactive system without a barrier. The laws of variation as a function of temperature are found to be very similar and the curves are parallel above 20 K. However, reaction is not allowed in the rigid rotor approximation, therefore the CCRR results are about twice as large as their QCT counterparts.