Rotational excitation of CO by collisions with He, H, and H2 under conditions in interstellar clouds.
Abstract
Cross sections for rotational excitation of small molecules by low-energy collisions with helium and hydrogen can currently be obtained via accurate numerical solution of the quantum equations that describe both intermolecular forces and collision dynamics. The relevant methods are discussed in some detail and applied to compute excitation rates for carbon monoxide. These calculations also predict collision-induced spectral pressure-broadening constants which are in excellent agreement with available experimental data.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- May 1976
- DOI:
- 10.1086/154333
- Bibcode:
- 1976ApJ...205..766G
- Keywords:
-
- Carbon Monoxide;
- Cloud Physics;
- Interstellar Gas;
- Molecular Excitation;
- Scattering Cross Sections;
- Interstellar Matter;
- Pressure Broadening;
- Quantum Theory;
- S Matrix Theory;
- Velocity Distribution;
- Astrophysics