Theory of dissociative recombination of highly-symmetric polyatomic ions

TL;DR

This paper develops a first-principles theoretical framework for dissociative recombination of highly-symmetric polyatomic ions, specifically applied to H₃O⁺ and CH₃⁺, with results aligning well with experimental data.

Contribution

It introduces a general theoretical approach for dissociative recombination of symmetric polyatomic ions and applies it successfully to specific ions relevant in various environments.

Findings

Theoretical cross-sections match experimental data.

Applicable to astrophysical, combustion, and plasma contexts.

Provides a foundation for studying similar ions.

Abstract

A general first-principles theory of dissociative recombination is developed for highly-symmetric molecular ions and applied to H$_3$O$^{+}$ and CH$_3^+$, which play an important role in astrophysical, combustion, and laboratory plasma environments. The theoretical cross-sections obtained for the dissociative recombination of the two ions are in good agreement with existing experimental data from storage ring experiments.