Eur. Phys. J. D 40, 223-230 (2006)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2006-00159-2

Cross-section and rate coefficient calculation for electron impact excitation, ionisation and dissociation of H₂ and OH molecules

¹ Laboratoire de Spectroscopie Atomique, Moléculaire et Applications, Département de Physique, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université de Tunis el Manar, 1060 Tunis, Tunisia
² Centre de Physique des Plasmas et Applications de Toulouse, UMR CNRS 5002, Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse 3, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse Cedex 09, France

Corresponding author: ^a teulet@cpat.ups-tlse.fr

Received: 14 February 2006
Revised: 2 June 2006
Published online: 12 July 2006

Abstract

The weighted total cross-section (WTCS) theory is used to calculate electron impact excitation, ionisation and dissociation cross-sections and rate coefficients of OH, H₂, OH⁺, H₂⁺, OH^- and H₂^- diatomic molecules in the temperature range 1500–15000 K. Calculations are performed for H₂(X, B, C), OH(X, A, B), H₂⁺(X), OH⁺(X, a, A, b, c), H₂^-(X) and OH^-(X) electronic states for which Dunham coefficients are available. Rate coefficients are calculated from WTCS assuming Maxwellian energy distribution functions for electrons and heavy particles. One and two temperature (θ_e and θ_g respectively for electron and heavy particles kinetic temperatures) results are presented and fitting parameters (a, b and c) are given for each reaction rate coefficient: k(θ) = a (θ^b)exp (-c/θ).