Radiative association of H$_2$ and H$^-$ at low temperature: can we observe H$_3^-$ in the interstellar medium?

ORAL

Abstract

We develop the theory of radiative association of an atom and a diatomic molecule within a close-coupling framework. We apply it to the formation of H$_3^-$ after the low energy collision (below 0.5~eV) of H$_2$ with H$^-$. Using recently obtained potential energy and permanent dipole moment surfaces of H$_3^-$, we calculate the lowest rovibrational levels of the H$_3^-$ electronic ground state, and the cross section for the formation of H$_3^-$ by radiative association between H$^-$ and ortho- and para-H$_2$. We discuss the possibility for the H$_3^-$ ion to be formed and observed in the cold and dense interstellar medium in an environment with a high ionization rate and thus suggest a way to detect the H$_3^-$ ion in the interstellar medium. Such an observation would be a probe for the presence of H$^-$ in the interstellar medium.

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Authors

  • Mehdi Ayouz

    Dep. of Chemistry, Marquette University, Department of Chemistry, Marquette University, Milwaukee 53201, USA

  • Cheng Chin

    University of Innsbruck, Physics Department, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland, East China Normal University, Laboratoire Aime Cotton, CNRS, Universite de Paris Sud, Orsay, France, JQI and University of Maryland, S. I. Vavilov State Optical Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia, UC Berkeley, Department of Physics, National ChengKung University, University of Arizona, ARC Centre of Excellence in Coherent X-ray Science, School of Physics, The University of Melbourne VIC 3010 Australia, University of California at Berkeley, University of Washington - Physics, University of Washington - Applied Math \& Physics, Universit\`a di Firenze, Universit\`a di Bologna, Universitat Bonn, Air Force Research Laboratory, University of Massachusetts, San Diego State University, University of Warwick, University of Queensland, University of Otago, Van der Waals-Zeeman Institute, University of Amsterdam, Harvard, Max-Planck-Institute, Garching, Caltech, Universiteit Leiden, Netherlands, University of California, Irvine, Harvard University, Joint Quantum Institute, NIST and University of Maryland, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Stanford PULSE Institute, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, TU Kaiserslautern, Max-Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, IQI, California Institute of Technology, Institute of Theoretical Physics, University of Ulm, Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Joint Quantum Institute, University of Maryland College Park, Rice University, Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland, Michigan State Uinversity, NSCL, Department of Physics, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Denmark, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Denmark; Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, JILA and the University of Colorado, JILA, University of Colorado at Boulder, International Atomic Energy Agency, Institute of Nuclear Physics, N.C.S.R. ``Demokritos'', PANalytical B.V, Technische Universitat Wien, Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Rostov State University of Transport Communication, McMaster University, Cal.Inst. 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  • Maurice Raoult

    Laboratoire Aime Cotton, CNRS, Orsay, France

  • Viatcheslav Kokoouline

    University of Central Florida, Department of Physics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32816, USA