Absolute measurements of state-to-state rotational energy transfer between CO and <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msub><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">H</mml:mi><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:msub></mml:math> at interstellar temperatures
Hamza Labiad, Martin Fournier, Laura A. Mertens, Alexandre Faure, David Carty, Thierry Stoecklin, Piotr Jankowski, Krzysztof Szalewicz, Sébastien D. Le Picard, Ian Sims
Abstract
The authors measure experimentally and calculate the state-to-state rate coefficients for rotational energy transfer of CO in collision with H${}_{2}$ at the interstellar temperatures in the range of 5--20 K. Good agreements were found between the experiments performed in cold supersonic flows and close-coupling quantum scattering calculations for collisions between the two most abundant molecules in the interstellar medium.
Topics & Concepts
Atomic physicsSpectroscopyRotational energyPhysicsQuantum numberInterstellar mediumInfraredScatteringQuantum mechanicsGalaxySpectroscopy and Laser ApplicationsAtmospheric Ozone and ClimateAtmospheric chemistry and aerosols