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Interstellar H3+ in Metastable Rotational LevelsTakeshi Oka and Erik EppDepartment of Chemistry and Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Enrico Fermi Institute, The University of Chicagothe 58th International Symposium on Molecular SpectroscopyColumbus Ohio, FA06,10:27, June 20, 2003
Δk = 3 Forbidden Rotational Transitions in H3+ μ Interstellar NH3 Oka, Shimizu, Shimizu, Watson, ApJ 165, L15 (1971) General Theory Watson, J. Mol. Spectrosc. 40, 536 (1971) H3+ Pan, Oka, ApJ 305, 518 (1986) Ab initio H3+ Neale, Miller, Tennyson, ApJ 335, 486 (1988)
Δk = 3 Forbidden Rotational Transitions in H3+ Metastable 3.8 hours μ 15.8 hours 7.9 hours 20.4 days 27.2 days Interstellar NH3 Oka, Shimizu, Shimizu, Watson, ApJ 165, L15 (1971) Theory Watson, J. Mol. Spectrosc. 40, 536 (1971) H3+ Pan, Oka, ApJ 305, 518 (1986) Theory H3+ Neale, Miller, Tennyson, ApJ 335, 486 (1988)
11.4 years Quasi-metastable
4000 cm-1 2000 cm-1 0
Radiation Collision Reaction C A A A B B D B Rigorous Selection Rules Approximate Random ortho para ΔI = 0ortho para ΔI = 0 ΔItotal = 0 + - ΔJ = ± 1, 0
Rate Equations 10-17 s-1 Production Spontaneous emission 4 10-7 s-1 Collision n(H2) 100 cm-3 10-7 s-1 Destruction 10-9 s-1 10-7 cm3 s-1 10-9 cm3 s-1 Detailed balance H3+ + H2 (H5+)* H3+ + H2
Para-H3+ Para-H3+ Ortho-H3+ Para-H3+