Association reactions of Na(+) and some implications for interstellar chemistry

Abstract

Three-body association reactions of Na<SUP>+</SUP> with a variety of neutral gases in the presence of He as third body have been studied in a Selected Ion Flow Tube at 80K. The measured rate coefficients have been utilized to estimate radiative association rate coefficients at 20K. It is shown that Na<SUP>+</SUP>-neutral radiative association reactions play a role in the depletion of Na<SUP>+</SUP> in dense interstellar clouds and can produce a sufficient amount of NaOH to explain its observed tentative abundance in Sgr B2.