Single-photon ionization of SiC in the gas phase: experimental and ab initio characterization of SiC.

We report the first experimental observation of single-photon ionization transitions of the SiC radical between 8.0 and 11.0 eV performed on the DESIRS beamline at the SOLEIL synchrotron facility. The SiC radical, very difficult to synthesize in the gas phase, was produced through chemical reactions between CHx (x = 0-3) and SiHy (y = 0-3) in a continuous microwave discharge flow tube, the CHx and SiHy species being formed by successive hydrogen-atom abstractions induced by fluorine atoms on methane and silane, respectively. Mass-selected ion yield and photoelectron spectra were recorded as a function of photon energy using a double imaging photoelectron/photoion coincidence spectrometer. The photoelectron spectrum enables the first direct experimental determinations of the X+ 4Σ- ← X 3Π and 1+ 2Π â† X 3Π adiabatic ionization energies of SiC (8.978(10) eV and 10.216(24) eV, respectively). Calculated spectra based on Franck-Condon factors are compared with the experimental spectra. These spectra were obtained by solving the rovibrational Hamiltonian, using the potential energy curves calculated at the multireference single and double configuration interaction level with Davidson correction (MRCI + Q) and the aug-cc-pV5Z basis set. MRCI + Q calculations including the core and core-valence electron correlation were performed using the aug-cc-pCV6Z basis set to predict the spectroscopic properties of the six lowest electronic states of SiC+. Complete basis set extrapolations and relativistic energy corrections were also included in the determination of the energy differences characterizing the photoionization process. Using our experimental and theoretical results, we derived semi-experimental values for the five lowest ionization energies of SiC.

State-to-state chemistry and rotational excitation of CH+ in photon-dominated regions.

We present a detailed theoretical study of the rotational excitation of CH+ due to reactive and nonreactive collisions involving C+(2P), H2, CH+, H and free electrons. Specifically, the formation of CH+ proceeds through the reaction between C+(2P) and H2(νH2 = 1, 2), while the collisional (de)excitation and destruction of CH+ is due to collisions with hydrogen atoms and free electrons. State-to-state and initial-state-specific rate coefficients are computed in the kinetic temperature range 10-3000 K for the inelastic, exchange, abstraction and dissociative recombination processes using accurate potential energy surfaces and the best scattering methods. Good agreement, within a factor of 2, is found between the experimental and theoretical thermal rate coefficients, except for the reaction of CH+ with H atoms at kinetic temperatures below 50 K. The full set of collisional and chemical data are then implemented in a radiative transfer model. Our Non-LTE calculations confirm that the formation pumping due to vibrationally excited H2 has a substantial effect on the excitation of CH+ in photon-dominated regions. In addition, we are able to reproduce, within error bars, the far-infrared observations of CH+ toward the Orion Bar and the planetary nebula NGC 7027. Our results further suggest that the population of νH2 = 2 might be significant in the photon-dominated region of NGC 7027.

Full-Dimensional Theory of Pair-Correlated HNCO Photofragmentation.

Full-dimensional semiclassical dynamical calculations combining classical paths and Bohr quantization of product internal motions are reported for the prototype photofragmentation of isocyanic acid in the S1 state. These calculations allow one to closely reproduce for the first time key features of state-of-the-art imaging measurements at photolysis wavelengths of 201 and 210 nm while providing insight into the underlying dissociation mechanism. Quantum scattering calculations being beyond reach for most polyatomic fissions, pair-correlated data on these processes are much more often measured than predicted. Our theoretical approach can be used to fill this gap.

Rotational Excitation of the OH(+) Radical by Collision with H at Low Temperature.

A ro-vibrationally inelastic close coupling study of the rotational excitation of OH(+)(X(3)Σ(-)) by collisions with H((2)S) is presented. The two lowest potential energy surfaces of doublet and quadruplet spin multiplicity are involved. The former is the one we developed recently, and the latter is a modified version of the quadruplet surface of Martinez et al. to include the long-range charge-induced-dipole potential. The details of the modification of this surface are presented as well as the comparison of the rotational excitation resulting from collisions with hydrogen on these two surfaces. The effect of the coupling between vibration and rotation on the rotational excitation rate is also discussed, as the potential well depth of the doublet surface is quite large and allows the coupling between many vibrational channels of OH(+). As the hydrogen exchange reaction can occur for both potential energy surfaces, we discuss the reliability of the approximation made by the calculation of the cross sections with a quantum dynamics limited to the inelastic process. The relative importance of the collisions on the doublet or quadruplet surface within a given rotational transition is also discussed.

On the use of explicitly correlated treatment methods for the generation of accurate polyatomic -He/H2 interaction potential energy surfaces: The case of C3-He complex and generalization.

Through the study of the C3(X1Σg (+)) (1)Σg (+)) + He((1)S) astrophysical relevant system using standard (CCSD(T)) and explicitly correlated (CCSD(T)-F12) coupled cluster approaches, we show that the CCSD(T)-F12/aug-cc-pVTZ level represents a good compromise between accuracy and low computational cost for the generation of multi-dimensional potential energy surfaces (PESs) over both intra- and inter-monomer degrees of freedom. Indeed, the CCSD(T)-F12/aug-cc-pVTZ 2D-PES for linear C3 and the CCSD(T)-F12/aug-cc-pVTZ 4D-PES for bent C3 configurations gently approach those mapped at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVXZ (X = T,Q) + bond functions level, whereas a strong reduction of computational effort is observed. After exact dynamical computations, the pattern of the rovibrational levels of the intermediate C3-He complex and the rotational and rovibrational (de-) excitation of C3 by He derived using both sets of PESs agree quite well. Since C3 shows a floppy character, the interaction PES is defined in four dimensions to obtain realistic collisional parameters. The C-C-C bending mode, which fundamental lies at 63 cm(-1) and can be excited at very low temperatures is explicitly considered as independent coordinate. Our work suggests hence that CCSD(T)-F12/aug-cc-pVTZ methodology is the key method for the generation of accurate polyatomic - He/H2 multi-dimensional PESs.

Accurate global potential energy surface for the H + OH+ collision.

We mapped the global three-dimensional potential energy surface (3D-PES) of the water cation at the MRCI/aug-cc-pV5Z including the basis set superposition (BSSE) correction. This PES covers the molecular region and the long ranges close to the H + OH(+)(X(3)Σ(-)), the O + H2(+)(X(2)Σg(+)), and the hydrogen exchange channels. The quality of the PES is checked after comparison to previous experimental and theoretical results of the spectroscopic constants of H2O(+)(X(2)B1) and of the diatomic fragments, the vibronic spectrum, the dissociation energy, and the barrier to linearity for H2O(+)(X(2)B1). Our data nicely approach those measured and computed previously. The long range parts reproduce quite well the diatomic potentials. In whole, a good agreement is found, which validates our 3D-PES.

High-harmonic transient grating spectroscopy of NO2 electronic relaxation.

We study theoretically and experimentally the electronic relaxation of NO(2) molecules excited by absorption of one ∼400 nm pump photon. Semiclassical simulations based on trajectory surface hopping calculations are performed. They predict fast oscillations of the electronic character around the intersection of the ground and first excited diabatic states. An experiment based on high-order harmonic transient grating spectroscopy reveals dynamics occurring on the same time scale. A systematic study of the detected transient is conducted to investigate the possible influence of the pump intensity, pump wavelength, and rotational temperature of the molecules. The quantitative agreement between measured and predicted dynamics shows that, in NO(2), high harmonic transient grating spectroscopy encodes vibrational dynamics underlying the electronic relaxation.

O+OH-->O(2)+H: A key reaction for interstellar chemistry. New theoretical results and comparison with experiment.

We report extensive, fully quantum, time-independent (TID) calculations of cross sections at low collision energies and rate constants at low temperatures for the O+OH reaction, of key importance in the production of molecular oxygen in cold, dark, interstellar clouds and in the chemistry of the Earth's atmosphere. Our calculations are compared with TID calculations within the J-shifting approximation, with wave-packet calculations, and with quasiclassical trajectory calculations. The fully quantum TID calculations yield rate constants higher than those from the more approximate methods and are qualitatively consistent with a low-temperature extrapolation of earlier experimental values but not with the most recent experiments at the lowest temperatures.