Molecules as Diagnostic Tools in the Interstellar Medium
Résumé
Analysis of light emission from different regions of the interstellar medium and circumstellar environments gives crucial information about the chemical composition and the physical conditions in these regions. Interpretation of the observed spectra requires the knowledge of collisional excitation rates as well as radiative rates participating to the line formation. In a first part, this paper focuses on collisional excitation rates of molecules relevant to the interstellar medium. It discusses currently available data and outlines new work carried out by the authors. Due to the use of accurate ab initio potential energy surfaces, the new rate coefficients differ significantly from previously published ones. In a second part, the paper analyses from two examples how the use of the new rates could lead to important changes in the interpretation of molecular emission emerging from molecular clouds.
Domaines
Planète et Univers [physics]
Origine : Fichiers produits par l'(les) auteur(s)
Loading...