DISSOCIATIVE RECOMBINATION OF PROTONATED PROPIONITRILE, CH3CH2CNH+: IMPLICATIONS FOR TITAN'S UPPER ATMOSPHERE

The dissociative recombination of protonated propionitrile, CH3CH2CNH+, has been investigated at the heavy ion storage ring, CRYRING, at the Manne Siegbahn Laboratory, Stockholm University, Sweden. The thermal rate coefficient has been deduced to follow k(T) = (1.5 +/- 0.2) x 10(-6) (T/300)(-0.76) (+/-) (0.02) cm(3) s(-1) for electron temperatures ranging from similar to 10 to similar to 1000 K. Measurements of the branching fractions were performed at similar to 0 eV relative kinetic energy. It has been found that in 43% +/- 2% of the reactions the four heavy atoms remain in the same product fragment. An equal portion of the reactions leads to products where one of the heavy atoms is split off from the other three and 14% +/- 1% result in a breakup into two heavy fragments containing two heavy atoms each. We discuss the significance of the data to Titan's upper atmosphere

DISSOCIATIVE RECOMBINATION OF PROTONATED PROPIONITRILE, CH3CH2CNH+: IMPLICATIONS FOR TITAN'S UPPER ATMOSPHERE

The dissociative recombination of protonated propionitrile, CH3CH2CNH+, has been investigated at the heavy ion storage ring, CRYRING, at the Manne Siegbahn Laboratory, Stockholm University, Sweden. The thermal rate coefficient has been deduced to follow k(T) = (1.5 +/- 0.2) x 10(-6) (T/300)(-0.76) (+/-) (0.02) cm(3) s(-1) for electron temperatures ranging from similar to 10 to similar to 1000 K. Measurements of the branching fractions were performed at similar to 0 eV relative kinetic energy. It has been found that in 43% +/- 2% of the reactions the four heavy atoms remain in the same product fragment. An equal portion of the reactions leads to products where one of the heavy atoms is split off from the other three and 14% +/- 1% result in a breakup into two heavy fragments containing two heavy atoms each. We discuss the significance of the data to Titan's upper atmosphere

DISSOCIATIVE RECOMBINATION OF VIBRATIONALLY COLD CH+3 AND INTERSTELLAR IMPLICATIONS

CH3+ is an important molecular ion in the astrochemistry of diffuse clouds, dense clouds, cometary comae, and planetary ionospheres. However, the rate of one of the major destruction mechanisms of CH3+, dissociative recombination (DR), has long been uncertain, hindering the use of CH3+ as an astrochemical probe. Here, we present the first absolute measurement of the DR of vibrationally cold CH3+, which has been made using the heavy storage ring CRYRING in Stockholm, Sweden. From our collision-energy-dependent cross sections, we infer a thermal rate constant of k(T) = 6.97(+/- 0.03) x 10(-7)(T/300)(-0.61(+/- 0.01)) cm(3) s(-1) over the region 10 K &lt;= T &lt;= 1000 K. At low collision energies, we have measured the branching fractions of the DR products to be CH3 (0.00(- 0.00)(+ 0.01)), CH2 + H (0.35(-0.01)(+ 0.01)), CH + 2H (0.20(-0.02)(+0.02)), CH + H-2 (0.10(-0.01)(+0.01)), and C + H-2 + H (0.35(-0.02)(+ 0.01)), indicating that two or more C-H bonds are broken in 65% of all collisions. We also present vibrational calculations which indicate that the CH3+ ions in the storage ring were relaxed to the vibrational ground state by spontaneous emission during the storage time. Finally, we discuss the implications of these new measurements for the observation of CH3+ in regions of the diffuse interstellar medium where CH+ is abundant.AuthorCount:12;</p

Dissociative recombination of the acetaldehyde cation, CH3CHO+

The dissociative recombination of the acetaldehyde cation, CH3CHO+, has been investigated at the heavy ion storage ring CRYRING at the Manne Siegbahn Laboratory in Stockholm, Sweden. The dependence of the absolute cross section of the reaction on the relative kinetic energy has been determined and a thermal rate coefficient of k(T) = (1.5 +/- 0.2) x 10(-6) (T/300)(-0.70 +/- 0.02) cm(3) s(-1) has been deduced, which is valid for electron temperatures between similar to 10 and 1000 K. The branching fractions of the reaction were studied at similar to 0 eV relative kinetic energy and we found that breaking one of the bonds between two of the heavy atoms occurs in 72 +/- 2% of the reactions. In the remaining events the three heavy atoms stay in the same product fragment. While the branching fractions are fairly similar to the results from an earlier investigation into the dissociative recombination of the fully deuterated acetaldehyde cation, CD3CDO+, the thermal rate coefficient is somewhat larger for CH3CHO+. Astrochemical implications of the results are discussed

Experimental studies of the dissociative recombination processes for the C

We have investigated the dissociative recombination (DR) of the C6D6+ and C6D7+ ions using the CRYRING heavy-ion storage ring at Stockholm University, Sweden. The dissociative recombination branching ratios were determined at minimal collision energy, showing that the DR of both ions was dominated by pathways keeping the carbon atoms together in one product. The absolute reaction cross sections for the titular ions are best fitted by σ(Ecm [eV]) = 1.3 ± 0.4 × 10-15 (Ecm [eV])−1.19 ± 0.02 cm2 (C6D6+) and σ(Ecm [eV]) = 1.1 ± 0.3 ×  10-15(Ecm [eV])−1.33 ± 0.02 cm2 (C6D7+) in the intervals 3-300 meV and 3-200 meV respectively. The thermal rate constants of the titular reactions are best described by: k(T) = 1.3 ± 0.4 × 10-6(T/300)−0.69 ± 0.02 cm3s-1 for C6D6+ and k(T) = 2.0 ± 0.6 × 10-6 (T/300)−0.83 ± 0.02 cm3s-1 for C6D7+. These expressions correlates well with earlier flowing afterglow studies on the same process

Experimental studies of the dissociative recombination of CD

Aims. We determine branching fractions, cross sections and thermal rate constants for the dissociative recombination of CD3CDOD+ and CH3CH2OH$_2^+$ at the low relative kinetic energies encountered in the interstellar medium. Methods. The experiments were carried out by merging an ion and electron beam at the heavy ion storage ring CRYRING, Stockholm, Sweden. Results. Break-up of the CCO structure into three heavy fragments is not found for either of the ions. Instead the CCO structure is retained in 23  ±  3% of the DR reactions of CD3CDOD+ and 7  ±  3% in the DR of CH3CH2OH$_2^+$, whereas rupture into two heavy fragments occurs in 77  ±  3% and 93  ±  3% of the DR events of the respective ions. The measured cross sections were fitted between 1–200 meV yielding the following thermal rate constants and cross-section dependencies on the relative kinetic energy: σ(Ecm [eV] ) = 1.7 ± 0.3 × 10-15(Ecm [eV] ) − 1.23 ± 0.02 cm2 and k(T) = 1.9 ± 0.4 × 10-6(T / 300) − 0.73 ± 0.02 cm3 s-1 for CH3CH2OH$_2^+$ as well as k(T) = 1.1 ± 0.4 × 10-6(T / 300) − 0.74 ± 0.05 cm3 s-1 and σ(Ecm [eV]) = 9.2 ± 4 × 10-16(Ecm [eV] ) − 1.24 ± 0.05 cm2 for CD3CDOD

Experimental studies of the dissociative recombination of CD3CDOD+ and CH3CH2OH2+

Aims. We determine branching fractions, cross sections and thermal rate constants for the dissociative recombination of CD3CDOD+ and CH3CH2OH2+ at the low relative kinetic energies encountered in the interstellar medium. Methods. The experiments were carried out by merging an ion and electron beam at the heavy ion storage ring CRYRING, Stockholm, Sweden. Results. Break-up of the CCO structure into three heavy fragments is not found for either of the ions. Instead the CCO structure is retained in 23 +/- 3% of the DR reactions of CD3CDOD+ and 7 +/- 3% in the DR of CH3CH2OH2+, whereas rupture into two heavy fragments occurs in 77 +/- 3% and 93 +/- 3% of the DR events of the respective ions. The measured cross sections were fitted between 1-200 meV yielding the following thermal rate constants and cross-section dependencies on the relative kinetic energy: sigma(E-cm[eV]) = 1.7 +/- 0.3 x 10(-15)(Ecm[eV])(-1.23 +/- 0.02) cm(2) and k(T) = 1.9 +/- 0.4 x 10(-6)(T/300)-0.73 +/- 0.02 cm(3) s(-1) for CH3CH2OH2+ as well as k(T) = 1.1 +/- 0.4 x 10(-6)(T/300)(-0.74 +/- 0.05) cm(3) s(-1) and s(Ecm[eV]) = 9.2 +/- 4 x 10(-16)(Ecm[eV])-1.24 +/- 0.05 cm(2) for CD3CDOD