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Collisional excitation of C5H+ by He was performed by mean of state-of-the-art methods. A high level of theory quantum chemical calculations were made to determine the interaction potential energy surface of C5H+ with helium. The new two-dimensional potential energy surface obtained from the RCCSD(T)-F12 ab initio approach associated with aug-cc-pVTZ basis sets, presents two minima below its dissociation limit with well depths of $-101.8$ and $-100.2\, \mathrm{cm}^{-1}$ . In order to derive accurate physical conditions from rotational transitions of the recently discovered C5H+ molecule in Taurus molecular cloud (TMC-1), rate coefficients calculations are performed. The C5H+(X1Σ+)–He de-excitation rates are obtained after averaging cross-sections for thermal temperature below 100 K. The integral cross-sections are computed with the close-coupling quantum time-independent formalism for $E\le 520 \, \mathrm{cm}^{-1}$ and J ≤ 15. The new collisional data will allow accurate determination of the C5H+ abundance and will help to understand the chemistry of carbon chain ions in the interstellar gas.

Tricarbon and pentacarbon monoxides have been detected towards the Taurus Molecular Cloud (TMC-1) with relatively important abundances. Understanding the chemical formation of these molecules requires interpreting their observational spectra by mean of non-local thermodynamical equilibrium modelling. For this purpose, we report rate coefficients of C3O and C5O induced by collision with He for temperatures up to 100 K. These data are obtained by calculating inelastic cross sections for the 31 low-lying rotational levels of C3O and C5O using the close-coupling approach. The comparison of the new rate coefficients with those of HC3N and HC5N, previously used to interpret the observational spectra of C3O and C5O, reveals differences of up to an order of magnitude. The effect of the new collisional rate coefficients in radiative transfer calculations is checked by computing the excitation temperatures for some transitions and simulating the C3O and C5O column densities observed towards TMC-1. Our findings suggest that the use of HCnN as template for CnO may lead to local thermodynamic equilibrium conditions for gas densities as low as ∼103 cm−3. Regarding the interpretation of the observational spectra, using radiative transfer modelling based on the actual CnO collisional rate coefficients instead of rotational diagram analysis leads to underestimate the column densities reported in the literature by up to 25 per cent and accordingly the C3O/ C5O abundance ratio by up to 50 per cent. We expect that the new rate coefficients and the radiative transfer calculations presented in this work will encourage further modellings of the CnO abundance and accordingly constrain the chemistry.

An appropriate estimation of the abundance of the observed C5 radical in the interstellar medium requires accurate radiative and collisional rate coefficients. We present the first two-dimensional potential energy surface (2D-PES) for the ground electronic state of the C5(X1Σ+)–He(X1S) van der Waals system, obtained using an explicitly correlated coupled-cluster method with single, double, and perturbative triple excitations (RCCSD(T)-F12). This PES is subsequently used in quantum close-coupling (CC) scattering calculations. Collisional excitation cross-sections of the rotational levels of C5 by He were calculated for energies up to 1500 cm−1 using the standard (CC) method. The thermal dependence of the corresponding rate coefficients is given for the low and moderate temperature T ≤ 300 K regime of interstellar molecular clouds. This is the first study on the collisional rate coefficients for this system and may have important implications for the astrophysical detection of C5(X1Σ+) and modeling of carbon-rich media.

In order to derive accurate physical conditions of the interstellar clouds (like TMC-1) from the rotational transitions of C2O, collisional rates are needed. Based on a new two-dimensional potential energy surface (2D-PES), we report a new rate coefficients calculation of C2O(X3Σ−) induced by collision with He. This PES was obtained from the explicitly correlated restricted open-shell coupled cluster with single, double and perturbative triple excitation (rccsd(t)-f12) ab initio approach associated with aug-cc-pVTZ basis sets. The C2O–He PES presents one minimum below its dissociation limit with a well depth of 42.376 cm−1. The close-coupling quantum time independent formalism was used to derive cross sections for E ≤ 370 cm−1 and N ≤ 10. De-excitation rate coefficients are obtained for thermal temperature below 80 K.

The C5S molecule is the largest member of the series of sulphur-containing carbon chains CnS observed in space. Given the lack of data concerning this molecule, we computed rate coefficients of C5S(1Σ+) induced by collision with He. These rates are obtained for thermal temperature below 100 K by mean of a new two-dimensional potential energy surface (PES) calculated with the explicit correlated coupled cluster with single, double, and pertubative triple excitation (ccsd(t)-f12) ab initio approach and the aug-cc-pVTZ basis sets. The C5S–He PES presents three minimums of −59.726, −55.355, and −36.506 cm−1 below its dissociation limit. Using this PES, the integral cross-sections are performed in the close-coupling (CC) and coupled-state (CS) quantum time independent formalisms for $E_\mathrm{ c}\le 500 \, \mathrm{ cm}^{-1}$ and J ≤ 13 (for CC) and J ≤ 50 (for CS). By averaging these cross-sections we obtained the downward rate coefficients. The new collisional data are used to simulate the excitation of C5S in the circumstellar gas. We obtain the excitation and brightness temperatures of the four lines observed towards the IRC+10216 which confirms the necessity of using radiative transfer calculations to accurately determine C5S abundance since the local thermodynamic equilibrium conditions are not fulfilled. The new collisional data should help to estimate the abundance of C5S in several interstellar regions.

Among the closed-shell hydrocarbons, the carbenes c- and l-C3H2 are the lightest ones to display a permanent electric dipole moment and be detectable by rotational spectroscopy. The cyclic form, cyclopropenylidene, is ubiquitous in the InterStellar Matter (ISM) of the Milky Way and external galaxies. As such, it serves as a marker to help in characterizing the physical conditions of the ISM. The linear form, propadienylidene, is less abundant. In order to get access to their absolute and relative abundances, it is essential to understand their collisional excitation/quenching schemes. We compute here a precise ab initio potential energy surface for the interaction of c- and l-C3H2 with helium, by means of a CCSD(T)-F12a formalism and a fit onto relevant spherical harmonics functions. We conduct quantum dynamical scattering in order to get precise cross sections using a coupled-channel approach for solving the nuclear motion. We average sections to have rates for rotational quenching from 5 to 150 K. We show that these new rates are vastly different, up to more than an order of magnitude, from the older rates presented in the literature, computed with angular momentum algebra only. We expect large differences in the astrophysical analyses of C3H2, including the chemical history of those ubiquitous carbenes.

Despite that the tricarbon monosulfide (C3S) is among the first sulfur-containing carbon-chain molecules to be detected in the interstellar medium, no studies focused on the determination of its collisional rates. These rate coefficients are essential to estimate the abundance of C3S in the interstellar medium. Computations of the C3S($^{1}\Sigma^{+}$ Σ + 1 ) downward rate coefficients, induced by collision with He, are performed by averaging the integral cross sections at low temperature (below $25~\text{K}$ 25 K ). Calculations of the cross sections in the close-coupling quantum time independent formalism for $E_{c}\leq110~\text{cm}^{-1}$ E c ≤ 110 cm − 1 and $J\leq10$ J ≤ 10 are based on a new 2-D potential energy surface. This PES is obtained from the explicit correlated coupled cluster with a single, double and perturbative triple excitation [ccsd(t)-f12] ab initio approach and the aug-cc-pVTZ basis sets. The PES have a global minimum of $-55.69~\text{cm}^{-1}$ − 55.69 cm − 1 located at $R=6.25$ R = 6.25 bohr and $\theta=94^{\circ}$ θ = 94 ∘ , and a second minimum of $-36.95~\text{cm}^{-1}$ − 36.95 cm − 1 at $R=9.35$ R = 9.35 bohr and $\theta=0^{\circ}$ θ = 0 ∘ . A comparison of C3S rates with those of the isoelectronic molecule C3O was made. The results indicate a great temperature dependence of the rates for transitions of $\Delta J>2$ Δ J > 2 . We expect that the new collisional data will allow for accurate determination of the C3S abundance in several interstellar regions.

Synopsis C3H2 molecules are ubiquitous in the Galaxy and present important challenges in their chemistry, whether cyclic or linear, and possibly substituted with D. Obtaining theoretical rotational quenching rates by collisions with He and H2 as projectiles is of great importance in order to get quantitative abundance estimates. It is all the more challenging that many rotational lines are excited during the collision, resulting in computationnally very heavy quantum dynamics. The quality of various approximations will be discussed, as well as the quenching rates for astrophysical applications.

Among the closed-shell hydrocarbons, the carbenes c- and l-C

The CCN radical has been recently detected in the interstellar medium. Accurate modeling of its abundance in such media requires one to model its excitation by both radiation and collisions. Here, we report the first quantum mechanical close-coupling study of CCN-He collisions. Calculations of fine-structure resolved excitation cross sections of CCN(X

The CCN radical has been recently detected in the interstellar medium. Accurate modeling of its abundance in such media requires one to model its excitation by both radiation and collisions. Here, we report the first quantum mechanical close-coupling study of CCN-He collisions. Calculations of fine-structure resolved excitation cross sections of CCN(X2Π) induced by collision with He are performed for kinetic energies below 500 cm-1. The calculations are based on new two-dimensional potential energy surfaces obtained from coupled cluster approaches. We found that the inelastic cross sections for spin-orbit conserving transitions are larger than those for spin-orbit changing transitions. The new collisional data should significantly help the interpretation of interstellar CCN emission lines observed with current and future telescopes and we expect that they will allow accurate determination of the CCN abundance in the interstellar medium, which is crucial to understand the chemistry of carbon chain species in the interstellar gas.

We have generated an ab initio three-dimensional potential energy surface (PES) for the (A(1)) over tildeA' state of LiSH. The spectroscopic data calculated from a full quartic force field are in very good agreement with the values obtained from microwave spectroscopic experiments. The PES has been used to solve variationally the nuclear motion problem and the vibrational energy levels are given up to about 3500 cm(-1) for LiSH and 2400 cm(-1) for LiSD. For LiSH, the anharmonic fundamental modes lie at 2571 (SH stretch), 578 (LiS stretch) and 372 (LiSH bending), and for LiSD the corresponding values are: 1866, 582 and 276 (all values are in cm(-1)), respectively. Anharmonic resonances between the bending and the LiS stretching modes are identified in both species. The calculated electric dipole moment mu(e) = 7.03 debye mirrors the strong charge separation in the lithium hydrosulphide. The electronically excited states up to vertical transition energies of 36 000 cm(-1) predissociate along the Li...SH path.

We used an ab initio methodology for the computation of the potential energy curves of the lowest electronic states of NaS and NaS+ diatomics. Using these highly correlated wavefunctions, we calculated their spin-orbit couplings. The X2Π and the A2Σ+ electronic states of NaS are found to possess deep potential wells. The upper bound electronic states have either shallow potential wells located in the molecular region or potentials of ∼ 1 eV depth located for large NaS distances. For NaS+, our calculations reveal the existence of shallow potentials for all states correlating to the four lowest dissociation limits. Using our potentials, we calculated an accurate set of spectroscopic constants for NaS and NaS+. Most of the data relative to the electronic excited states represent predictions. The spin-orbit induced predissociation of NaS(A2Σ+ is discussed. Finally, our cationic potentials and the NaS(X2Π) potential were used for the prediction of the single ionization spectrum of NaS.

International audience; Multiconfiguration self-consistent field and multiconfiguration reference interaction including the Davidson's correction techniques were employed to calculate the potential energy curves (PECs) of the BeS/BeS+ electronic states correlating to the 4/5 lowest dissociation limits. After nuclear motion treatment, we deduced reliable spectroscopic data for the neutral and cationic bound states. For BeS, the transition moments and spin-orbit couplings were also evaluated and used later with the PECs to deduce the rovibronic transition probabilities and the radiative lifetimes in the low-lying states, and to investigate the unimolecular decomposition processes of BeS (X(1)Sigma(+), A(1)Pi, (3)Sigma(+) and B(1)Sigma(+)) leading to Be((1)S(g)) + S((3)P(g)). The prominent mechanism is a spin-orbit induced predissociation via the repulsive BeS(1(3)Sigma) state. Finally, we give the single ionization spectrum of BeS (X(1)Sigma(+)) populating the BeS(+) (X(2)Pi, 1(2)Sigma, 1(2)Sigma(+), 1(2)Sigma(+), 2(2)Sigma(+), 2(2)Pi and 3(2)Pi) electronic states. The adiabatic ionisation energy of BeS is estimated to be similar to 9.15 eV. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier B. V.

International audience; Reliable theoretical data on spectroscopy and spin-orbit matrix elements are computed for the lowest electronic states of SH+ and LiS+ ions. Accurate spectroscopic predictions for their excited electronic states are given. For SH+, polarization minima at large internuclear distances are located in addition to the strongly bound electronic states already known. For LiS+, our calculations confirm that the electronic ground state of this ion is of (3)Sigma(-) species and reveal the existence of a (1)Delta state presenting a potential well as deep as the potential of the ground state. Moreover, the LiS+ electronic excited states potential energy curves possess shallow potential minima in the molecular region and at long-internuclear distances. Generally, these shallow minima may be populated during low energy collisions between the corresponding atomic fragments. Finally, spin-orbit calculations have allowed giving accurate determinations of the spin-orbit splittings for these cations and elucidation of the predissociation mechanisms of SH+ leading to the formation of the S+ and H species in their electronic ground states. Accordingly, long-lived SH+ ions can be found in the (XE-)-E-3, a(1)Delta and b(1)Sigma(+) electronic states and the rovibrational levels of LiS+ in its electronically excited and ground states should be weakly perturbed. (C) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.