How efficient is radiative association between large species? The case of CH3(+) + CH3CN
Abstract
The ion-molecule reactions between CH3(+) and CH3CN have been studied via both the selected ion flow tube and ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) techniques at 300 K. Two normal exothermic channels and an association channel have been observed. The low pressure limit to the ICR results shows that there is a significant radiative association channel (5 percent) which competes with the exothermic channels. Phase space theory has been utilized to model the low pressure experimental results and to calculate the rate of the radiative association at interstellar temperatures. The large radiative association rate coefficient indicates that, despite the presence of competitive exothermic channels, radiative association involving large species can be an important process in the interstellar medium if certain conditions are met.
- Publication:
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- March 1990
- Bibcode:
- 1990A&A...229..201H
- Keywords:
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- Acetonitrile;
- Hydrocarbons;
- Interstellar Matter;
- Molecular Interactions;
- Abundance;
- Isomers;
- Metastable State;
- Atomic and Molecular Physics