Dissociative recombination and vibrational excitation of CO⁺: model calculations and comparison with experiment

Abstract

The latest molecular data—potential energy curves and Rydberg/valence interactions—characterizing the super-excited electronic states of CO are reviewed, in order to provide inputs for the study of their fragmentation dynamics. Starting from this input, the main paths and mechanisms for CO+ dissociative recombination are analyzed; its cross sections are computed using a method based on multichannel quantum defect theory. Convoluted cross sections, giving both isotropic and anisotropic Maxwellian rate coefficients, are compared with merged-beam and storage-ring xperimental results. The calculated cross sections underestimate the measured ones by a factor of two, but display a very similar resonant shape. These facts confirm the quality of our approach for the dynamics, and call for more accurate and more extensive molecular structure calculations. Keywords: dissociative recombination, electron impact vibrational excitation, vibrationally excited, multichannel quantum defect theory (Some figures may appear in colour only in the online journal)