The dissociative recombination of H-3(+) - a saga coming to an end?

• Major progress has been made in the understanding of how H-3(+) recombines with thermal and sub-thermal electrons, a process of great importance to the chemistry of diffuse interstellar clouds. Two independent ion storage ring experiments with rovibrationally cold H-3(+) ions are in excellent agreement, and quantum mechanical calculations agree with the storage ring results quantitatively for the thermal rate constant, if not in all details concerning the cross section. The recombination mechanism is understood. A direct consequence of this progress is that the cosmic-ray ionization rate in diffuse clouds must be shifted upwards to a value larger than 10 (16)s (1). 

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

cosmic-ray ionization

diffuse interstellar clouds

storage-ring

zeta-persei

large molecules

h-3

ions

electrons

d-3(+)

states

Physics

Fysik

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)