Rotational quenching of H2CO by molecular hydrogen: cross-sections, rates and pressure broadening

• Published in: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Vol. 432; no. 3; pp. 2573 - 2578
• Main Authors: Wiesenfeld, L., Faure, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford University Press 01-07-2013
• Subjects: molecular processes; molecular data; ISM: molecules; astrochemistry
• ISSN: 0035-8711; 1365-2966
• DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stt616

We compute the rotational quenching rates of the first 81 rotational levels of ortho- and para-H2CO in collision with ortho- and para-H2, for a temperature range of 10-300 K. We make use of the quantum close-coupling and coupled-state scattering methods combined with the high accuracy potential energy surface of Troscompt et al. Rates are significantly different from the scaled rates of H2CO in collision with He; consequently, critical densities are notably lower. We compare a full close-coupling computation of pressure broadening cross-sections with experimental data and show that our results are compatible with the low-temperature measurements of Mengel & De Lucia, for a spin temperature of H2 around 50 K.