Rate constants for a reactive system of astrophysical interest: a statistical study of CH2+

Abstract

A systematic investigation on the different processes involving formation, destruction and (de)excitation of specific rovibrational states of CH⁺ has been carried out based on statistical approaches. Thus, reactive collisions between C⁺(²P) and H₂(v, j) and between CH⁺(v, j) and H for a large number of state-to-state transitions have been studied using a statistical quantum method and a statistical adiabatic channel model. The capabilities of such techniques for the study of the title system are discussed with comparisons to previous quantum mechanical results and experimental data. Integral cross sections as a function of the energy and rate constants in terms of the temperature (up to 1500 K) are obtained and numerical data for astrophysical purposes are provided.