Collisional excitation of CN(X2Σ+) by para- and ortho-H2: Fine-structure resolved transitions

Rotational dynamics of CNCN by p-H2 and o-H2 collision at interstellar temperatures

The rotational dynamics of isocyanogen (CNCN) is studied for its collision with para (p-) and ortho (o-) hydrogen (H2) in the temperature range of 1-100 K. These temperatures correspond to the cold dense molecular clouds in the interstellar medium where molecular hydrogen is the primary collider. An ab initio 4D potential energy surface (PES) is constructed keeping the two molecules under rigid rotor approximation. The PES is generated using the CCSD(T)-F12b/AVTZ level of theory. The 4D PES is further fitted into a neural network (NN) model, which can augment the surface and account for missing data points within spectroscopic accuracy. This NN-fitted PES is then expanded over a bispherical harmonics function to get radial terms, which are expressed into analytic functions. Thereafter, the cross sections (σ) are computed for rotational transitions of CNCN (j → j') using the close-coupling and centrifugal sudden methods for both p-H2 (jc = 0) and o-H2 (jc = 1) collision till 194 cm-1. In addition, p-H2 (jc = 0, 2) cross sections are also computed using the centrifugal sudden approximation method. The collisional rates are achieved by taking the Boltzmann distribution of σ over the translational energy of H2 till 100 K. Finally, the CNCN-H2 rates are compared to CNCN-He and NCCN-H2 collisional rates. Comparing even and odd transitions for the CNCN-H2 rates show a propensity toward higher rates for even transitions especially for o-H2 collisions considering low-order transitions.

Interaction of methanol with molecular hydrogen: Ab initio potential energy surface and scattering calculations

The potential energy surface (PES) describing the interaction of the methanol molecule with molecular hydrogen has been calculated by the use of the explicitly correlated coupled cluster method, including single, double, and (perturbative) triple excitations [CCSD(T)-F12a] and a correlation-consistent aug-cc-pVTZ basis, with the assumption of fixed molecular geometries. The computed points were fit to a functional form appropriate for time-independent quantum scattering calculations of rotationally inelastic cross sections and rate coefficients. Stationary points on the PES were located, and the global minimum was found to have an energy equal to -254.7 cm-1 relative to the energy of the separated molecules. This PES was used in time-independent close coupling quantum scattering calculations to determine state-to-state cross sections and rate coefficients for rotational transitions within the A- and E-type nuclear spin torsional ground states.

4D potential energy surface of NCCN-H2 collision: Rotational dynamics by p-H2 and o-H2 at interstellar temperatures

The rotational excitation rates of NCCN species are studied for its collision with hydrogen (H2) in temperatures ranging from 1 to 100 K. Such collisions can occur in the interstellar medium with H2 in either para (p-) or ortho (o-) state, of which the p-H2 state can be approximated via its collision with He (using a scaling factor) or with a reduced rigid rotor-H2 surface (by averaging over various orientations of H2). In the current work, a four-dimensional (4D) ab initio potential energy surface (PES) is considered to study the collision dynamics of H2 in both p- and o-states and the results are compared with previous approximations. The 4D surface is constructed using the explicitly correlated coupled-cluster method CCSD(T)-F12b with the augmented triple zeta basis AVTZ and then fitted into an artificial neural networks (NN) model to augment the surface and account for missing data points. The radial coefficients are obtained from this NN fitted 4D PES via a least square fit over two spherical harmonics functions. The cross sections (σ) are computed using the close-coupling (CC) method (until 230 cm-1) for both p- and o-H2 collisions, and the rates are obtained by Boltzmann distribution over the translational energy of H2 until 100 K. The o-H2 rates are found to be higher by 25%-30% and 10%-20% compared to the p-H2 rates for Δj = 2 and higher order transitions, respectively. The coupled-state/centrifugal sudden approximated rates are also computed and found to have deviations as large as 40% when compared to CC rates, thus making quantitative descriptions unreliable.

HeH+ Collisions with H2: Rotationally Inelastic Cross Sections and Rate Coefficients from Quantum Dynamics at Interstellar Temperatures

We report for the first time an accurate ab initio potential energy surface for the HeH⁺–H₂ system in four dimensions (4D) treating both diatomic species as rigid rotors. The computed ab initio potential energy point values are fitted using an artificial neural network method and used in quantum close coupling calculations for different initial states of both rotors, in their ground electronic states, over a range of collision energies. The state-to-state cross section results are used to compute the rate coefficients over a range of temperatures relevant to interstellar conditions. By comparing the four dimensional quantum results with those obtained by a reduced-dimensions approach that treats the H₂ molecule as an averaged, nonrotating target, it is shown that the reduced dimensionality results are in good accord with the four dimensional results as long as the HeH⁺ molecule is not initially rotationally excited. By further comparing the present rate coefficients with those for HeH⁺–H and for HeH⁺–He, we demonstrate that H₂ molecules are the most effective collision partners in inducing rotational excitation in HeH⁺ cation at interstellar temperatures. The rotationally inelastic rates involving o-H₂ and p-H₂ excitations are also obtained and they turn out to be, as in previous systems, orders of magnitude smaller than those involving the cation. The results for the H₂ molecular partner clearly indicate its large energy-transfer efficiency to the HeH⁺ system, thereby confirming its expected importance within the kinetics networks involving HeH⁺ in interstellar environments.

Collisional excitation of NH by H2: Potential energy surface and scattering calculations

Collisional data for the excitation of NH by H₂ are key to accurately derive the NH abundance in astrophysical media. We present a new four-dimensional potential energy surface (PES) for the NH-H₂ van der Waals complex. The ab initio calculations of the PES were carried out using the explicitly correlated partially spin-restricted coupled cluster method with single, double, and perturbative triple excitations [RCCSD(T)-F12a] with the augmented correlation-consistent polarized valence triple zeta basis set. The PES was represented by an angular expansion in terms of coupled spherical harmonics. The global minimum corresponds to the linear structure with a well depth D_e = 149.10 cm^-1. The calculated dissociation energy D₀ is found to be 30.55 and 22.11 cm^-1 for ortho-H₂ and para-H₂ complexes, respectively. These results are in agreement with the experimental values. Then, we perform quantum close-coupling calculations of the fine structure resolved excitation cross sections of NH induced by collisions with ortho-H₂ and para-H₂ for collisional energies up to 500 cm^-1. We find strong differences between collisions induced by ortho-H₂ and para-H₂. Propensity rules are discussed. The cross sections are larger for fine structure conserving transitions than for fine structure changing ones, as predicted by theory. These new results should help in interpreting NH interstellar spectra and better constrain the abundance of NH in interstellar molecular clouds.

Fully quantum calculations of O2-N2 scattering using a new potential energy surface: Collisional perturbations of the oxygen 118 GHz fine structure line

A proper description of the collisional perturbation of the shapes of molecular resonances is important for remote spectroscopic studies of the terrestrial atmosphere. Of particular relevance are the collisions between the O₂ and N₂ molecules-the two most abundant atmospheric species. In this work, we report a new highly accurate O₂(X³Σ_g ^-)-N₂(X¹Σ_g ⁺) potential energy surface and use it for performing the first quantum scattering calculations addressing line shapes for this system. We use it to model the shape of the 118 GHz fine structure line in O₂ perturbed by collisions with N₂ molecules, a benchmark system for testing our methodology in the case of an active molecule in a spin triplet state. The calculated collisional broadening of the line agrees well with the available experimental data over a wide temperature range relevant for the terrestrial atmosphere. This work constitutes a step toward populating the spectroscopic databases with ab initio line shape parameters for atmospherically relevant systems.

Vibrational quenching of CN- in collisions with He and Ar

The vibrational quenching cross sections and corresponding low-temperature rate constants for the ν = 1 and ν = 2 states of CN^-(¹Σ⁺) colliding with He and Ar atoms have been computed ab initio using new three-dimensional potential energy surfaces. Little work has been carried out so far on low-energy vibrationally inelastic collisions for anions with neutral atoms. The cross sections and rates calculated at energies and temperatures relevant for both ion traps and astrochemical modeling are found by the present calculations to be even smaller than those of the similar C₂ ^-/He and C₂ ^-/Ar systems, which are in turn of the order of those existing for the collisions involving neutral diatom-atom systems. The implications of our finding in the present case mainly focus on the possible role of small computed rate constants in the dynamics of molecular cooling and the evolution of astrochemical modeling networks.

Quantum Dynamics of Rotational Energy Transfer Processes for N2-HF and N2-DF Systems

The rate coefficients of rotationally inelastic collision processes for N₂-HF as well as N₂-DF systems were calculated by applying the recently developed coupled-states approximation including the nearest neighbor Coriolis couplings approach, based on the full-dimensional ab initio intermolecular potential energy surface. It was found that the energy gap law governs these energy transfer processes. For rotational quenching of N₂ (j₁ = 2-10) by the ground rotational state of HF, j₁ = 6 and 5 have the maximum quenching rate for ortho-N₂ and para-N₂, respectively. Quenching rate coefficients for initially excited HF and DF (j₂ = 1) in collisions with N₂ were also reported, where N₂-DF has a larger quenching rate than N₂-HF due to larger density of states of the N₂-DF system.

Rotational state-changing collisions of C2H- and C2N- anions with He under interstellar and cold ion trap conditions: A computational comparison

We present an extensive range of quantum calculations for the state-changing rotational dynamics involving two simple molecular anions that are expected to play some role in the evolutionary analysis of chemical networks in the interstellar environments, C₂H^- (X¹Σ⁺) and C₂N^- (X³Σ^-), but for which inelastic rates are only known for C₂H^-. The same systems are also of direct interest in modeling selective photo-detachment experiments in cold ion traps where the He atoms function as the chief buffer gas at the low trap temperatures. This study employs accurate, ab initio calculations of the interaction potential energy surfaces for these anions, treated as rigid rotors, and the He atom to obtain a wide range of state-changing quantum cross sections and rates at temperatures up to about 100 K. The results are analyzed and compared for the two systems to show differences and similarities between their rates of state-changing dynamics.

Interaction of the HCO radical with molecular hydrogen: Ab initio potential energy surface and scattering calculations

The potential energy surface describing the interaction of the HCO radical with molecular hydrogen has been computed through explicitly correlated coupled cluster calculations including single, double, and (perturbative) triple excitations [RCCSD(T)-F12a], with the assumption of fixed molecular geometries. The computed points were fit to an analytical form suitable for time-independent quantum scattering calculations of rotationally inelastic cross sections and rate coefficients. Since the spin-rotation splittings in HCO are small, cross sections for fine-structure resolved transitions are computed with electron-spin free T matrix elements through the recoupling technique usually employed to determine hyperfine-resolved cross sections. Both spin-free and fine-structure resolved state-to-state cross sections for rotationally inelastic transitions are presented and discussed.

Interaction of the H2S molecule with molecular hydrogen: Ab initio potential energy surface and scattering calculations

The potential energy surface describing the interaction of H₂S with molecular hydrogen has been computed through explicitly correlated coupled cluster calculations including single, double, and (perturbative) triple excitations [CCSD(T)-F12a], with the assumption of fixed molecular geometries. The computed points were fit to an analytical form suitable for time-independent quantum scattering calculations of rotationally inelastic cross sections and rate coefficients. Representative sets of energy dependent state-to-state rotationally inelastic cross sections and rate coefficients are presented and discussed.

Observation of quantum dynamical resonances in near cold inelastic collisions of astrophysical molecules

Quantum resonances in inelastic collisions, predicted by theory and detected at low energies in a crossed-beam experiment, are reviewed.

This mini review summarizes experimental findings of quantum dynamical resonances in inelastic collisions at energies equivalent to temperatures of a few to a few tens of Kelvin, corresponding to physical conditions prevailing in dense molecular clouds of the interstellar medium. Information obtained is thus relevant to collision energy transfer modelling in such media. Crossed-beam scattering experiments performed at Bordeaux university for inelastic collisions of important astrophysical molecules such as CO with H₂ or He and O₂ with H₂ are described. The peaks that show up in the collision energy dependence of the state-to-state integral cross sections for the lowest rotational excitation transitions reveal the quantum nature of such processes. They are ascribed as shape and Feshbach resonances by comparison with the results of close coupling quantum mechanical calculations performed concomitantly on accurate potential energy surfaces.

A new ab initio potential energy surface for the collisional excitation of N2H(+) by H2

We compute a new potential energy surface (PES) for the study of the inelastic collisions between N2H(+) and H2 molecules. A preliminary study of the reactivity of N2H(+) with H2 shows that neglecting reactive channels in collisional excitation studies is certainly valid at low temperatures. The four dimensional (4D) N2H(+)-H2 PES is obtained from electronic structure calculations using the coupled cluster with single, double, and perturbative triple excitation level of theory. The atoms are described by the augmented correlation consistent triple zeta basis set. Both molecules were treated as rigid rotors. The potential energy surface exhibits a well depth of ≃2530 cm(-1). Considering this very deep well, it appears that converged scattering calculations that take into account the rotational structure of both N2H(+) and H2 should be very difficult to carry out. To overcome this difficulty, the "adiabatic-hindered-rotor" treatment, which allows para-H2(j = 0) to be treated as if it were spherical, was used in order to reduce the scattering calculations to a 2D problem. The validity of this approach is checked and we find that cross sections and rate coefficients computed from the adiabatic reduced surface are in very good agreement with the full 4D calculations.

Communication: Rotational excitation of HCl by H: Rigid rotor vs. reactive approaches

We report fully quantum time-independent calculations of cross sections for the collisional excitation of HCl by H, an astrophysically relevant process. Our calculations are based on the Bian-Werner ClH2 potential energy surface and include the possibility of HCl destruction through reactive collisions. The strongest collision-induced rotational HCl transitions are those with Δj = 1, and the magnitude of the HCl-H inelastic cross sections is of the same order of magnitude as the HCl-H2 ones. Results of exact calculations, i.e., including the reactive channels, are compared to pure inelastic calculations based on the rigid rotor approximation. A very good agreement is found between the two approaches over the whole energy range 10-3000 cm(-1). At the highest collisional energies, where the reaction takes place, the rigid rotor approach slightly overestimates the cross sections, as expected. Hence, the rigid rotor approach is found to be reliable at interstellar temperatures.

Quantum dynamical resonances in low-energy CO(j = 0) + He inelastic collisions

In molecular collisions, long-lived complexes may be formed that correspond to quasi-bound states in the van der Waals potential and give rise to peaks in the collision energy-dependent cross-sections. They are known as 'resonances' and their experimental detection remains difficult because their signatures are extremely challenging to resolve. Here, we show a complete characterization of quantum-dynamical resonances occurring in CO-He inelastic collisions with rotational CO(j = 0->1) excitation. Crossed-beam scattering experiments were performed at collision energies as low as 4 cm(-1), equivalent to a temperature of 4 K. Resonance structures in the measured cross-sections were identified by comparison with quantum-mechanical calculations. The excellent agreement found confirms that the potential energy surfaces describing the CO-He van der Waals interaction are perfectly suitable for calculating state-to-state (de)excitation rate coefficients at the very low temperatures needed in chemical modelling of the interstellar medium. We also computed these rate coefficients.

Parity-dependent rotational energy transfer in CN(A(2)Π, ν = 4, j F(1)ε) + N2, O2, and CO2 collisions

We report state-resolved total removal cross sections and state-to-state rotational energy transfer (RET) cross sections for collisions of CN(A(2)Π, ν = 4, j F1ε) with N2, O2, and CO2. CN(X(2)Σ(+)) was produced by 266 nm photolysis of ICN in a thermal bath (296 K) of the collider gas. A circularly polarized pulse from a dye laser prepared CN(A(2)Π, ν = 4) in a range of F1e rotational states, j = 2.5, 3.5, 6.5, 11.5, 13.5, and 18.5. These prepared states were monitored using the circularly polarized output of an external cavity diode laser by frequency-modulated (FM) spectroscopy on the CN(A-X)(4,2) band. The FM Doppler profiles were analyzed as a function of pump-probe delay to determine the time dependence of the population of the initially prepared states. Kinetic analysis of the resulting time dependences was used to determine total removal cross sections from the initially prepared levels. In addition, a range of j' F1e and j' F2f product states resulting from rotational energy transfer out of the j = 6.5 F1e initial state were probed, from which state-to-state RET cross sections were measured. The total removal cross sections lie in the order CO2 > N2 > O2, with evidence for substantial cross sections for electronic and/or reactive quenching of CN(A, ν = 4) to unobserved products with CO2 and O2. This is supported by the magnitude of the state-to-state RET cross sections, where a deficit of transferred population is apparent for CO2 and O2. A strong propensity for conservation of rotational parity in RET is observed for all three colliders. Spin-orbit-changing cross sections are approximately half of those of the respective conserving cross sections. These results are in marked disagreement with previous experimental observations with N2 as a collider but are in good agreement with quantum scattering calculations from the same study ( Khachatrian et al. J. Phys. Chem. A 2009 , 113 , 3922 ). Our results with CO2 as a collider are similarly in strong disagreement with a related experimental study ( Khachatrian et al. J. Phys. Chem. A 2009 , 113 , 13390 ). We therefore propose that the previous experiments substantially underestimated the spin-orbit-changing cross sections for collisions with both N2 and CO2, suggesting that even approximate quantum scattering calculations may be more successful for such molecule-molecule systems than was previously concluded.