Cross sections and thermal rate coefficients are computed for electron-impact dissociative recombination and vibrational excitation/de-excitation of the N + 2 molecular ion in its lowest six vibrational levels, for collision energies/temperatures up to 2.3 eV/5000 K.

Cross sections are presented for dissociative recombination and electron-impact vibrational excitation of the ArH + molecular ion at electron energies appropriate for the interstellar environment. The R-matrix method is employed to determine the molecular structure data, i.e. the position and width of the resonance states. The cross sections and the corresponding Maxwellian rate coefficients are computed using a method based on the Multichannel Quantum Defect Theory. The main result of the paper is the very low dissociative recombination rate found at temperatures below 1000K. This is in agreement with the previous upper limit measurement in merged beams and offers a realistic explanation to the presence of ArH + in exotic interstellar conditions.

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Synopsis We will present our recent results in the study of electron-induced reactivity of ionized and neutral molecules. The Configuration Interaction method and the Multichannel Quantum Defect Theory have been employed in order to obtain cross sections for collisions of electrons with ArH+, HD+, N2 and CO2.