Atomic and molecular data for spacecraft re-entry plasmas

The modeling of atmospheric gas, interacting with the space vehicles in re-entry conditions in planetary exploration missions, requires a large set of scattering data for all those elementary processes occurring in the system. A fundamental aspect of re-entry problems is represented by the strong non-equilibrium conditions met in the atmospheric plasma close to the surface of the thermal shield, where numerous interconnected relaxation processes determine the evolution of the gaseous system towards equilibrium conditions. A central role is played by the vibrational exchanges of energy, so that collisional processes involving vibrationally excited molecules assume a particular importance. In the present paper, theoretical calculations of complete sets of vibrationally state-resolved cross sections and rate coefficients are reviewed, focusing on the relevant classes of collisional processes: resonant and non-resonant electron-impact excitation of molecules, atom-diatom and molecule-molecule collisions as well as gas-surface interaction. In particular, collisional processes involving atomic and molecular species, relevant to Earth (N2, O2, NO), Mars (CO2, CO, N2) and Jupiter (H2, He) atmospheres are considered

Dissociative recombination and electron-impact de-excitation in CH photon emission under ITER divertor-relevant plasma conditions

For understanding carbon erosion and redeposition in nuclear fusion devices, it is important to understand the transport and chemical break-up of hydrocarbon molecules in edge plasmas, often diagnosed by emission of the CH A^2\Delta - X^2\Pi Ger\"o band around 430 nm. The CH A-level can be excited either by electron-impact or by dissociative recombination (D.R.) of hydrocarbon ions. These processes were included in the 3D Monte Carlo impurity transport code ERO. A series of methane injection experiments was performed in the high-density, low-temperature linear plasma generator Pilot-PSI, and simulated emission intensity profiles were benchmarked against these experiments. It was confirmed that excitation by D.R. dominates at T_e < 1.5 eV. The results indicate that the fraction of D.R. events that lead to a CH radical in the A-level and consequent photon emission is at least 10%. Additionally, quenching of the excited CH radicals by electron impact de-excitation was included in the modeling. This quenching is shown to be significant: depending on the electron density, it reduces the effective CH emission by a factor of 1.4 at n_e=1.3*10^20 m^-3, to 2.8 at n_e=9.3*10^20 m^-3. Its inclusion significantly improved agreement between experiment and modeling

Collective phenomena in pp and ep scattering

Bjorken scaling violation in deep inelastic electron-proton scattering (DIS) is related to the rise of hadronic cross sections by using the additive quark model. Of special interest is the connection between saturation in the low-x behavior of the DIS structure functions (SF) and possible slow-down of the pp cross section rise due to saturation effects. We also identify saturation effects in the DIS SF with phase transition that can be described by the Van der Waals equation of state

Cross sections for 11–14-eV e-H2 resonant collisions: Vibrational excitation

Resonant vibrational excitation (RVE) cross sections have been calculated for the electron-H2 molecule collisions in the energy range 11–14 eV involving the 2Σ+g excited electronic state of the molecular hydrogen ion H2−. This state, whose threshold is located around 14 eV, gives rise to the so-called series a of the observed peaks in electron-impact differential cross-section measurements. The calculations have been performed within the local complex potential approximation by using the available theoretical potential energy and width for the 2Σ+g resonant state. The cross sections for all vi=0→vf=1–14 RVE transitions have been calculated. A satisfactory agreement of calculated cross sections with the available experimental data is obtained

Cross sections for 14-eV e-H2 resonant collisions: Dissociative electron attachment

The dissociative electron attachment (DEA) process in electron-H[sub]2 molecule collisions, involving the ^2Σ^+[sub]g excited electronic Rydberg state of molecular hydrogen ion H[sub]2^−, is investigated theoretically. The DEA cross section has been calculated within the local complex potential approximation. The convoluted cross section, which presents a peak located at the incident energy of about 14 eV, compares favorably with available experimental data

Electron-impact vibrational excitation of vibrationally excited H2 molecules involving the resonant 2(Sigma)g+ Rydberg-excited electronic state

Electron-impact theoretical cross sections and rate coefficients for vibrational excitation of vibrationally excited H2 molecules, occurring through the H−2 resonant species in the 2Σ+g Rydberg-excited electronic state, are presented. The cross sections are calculated as functions of the incident electron energy by adopting the local-complex-potential model for resonant collisions and by using ab initio calculated molecular potentials and resonance widths. The calculations have been extended to all possible vibrational transitions linking all 15 vibrational levels of the electronic ground state of the H2 molecule. The corresponding rate coefficients are also obtained as a function of the electron temperature by assuming a Maxwellian electron energy distribution function, and a simple analytical expression is derived. Finally, the present rate coefficients for the transitions starting from the lowest vibrational level of the H2 molecule are compared with those for the process involving the X2Σ+u resonant state of the H−2 molecular ion