Speaker
Description
The nature of collisional energy transfer involving hydrogen molecules
is integral to the understanding of the evolution of interstellar
shocks. A collision of a molecule with another atom or molecule can
lead to collisional energy transfer or dissociation, both of which can
contribute to the cooling of interstellar shock fronts. The
probability of a particular collisional outcome is a function of
internal energy of the hydrogen molecule, the collisional energy, and
the nature of the collider. These need to be explicitly considered in
models to elucidate the competition between radiative and collisional
processes.
Collisions of molecular hydrogen with He, H, and other hydrogen
molecules are examined from molecular dynamics and astrochemical
perspectives. The astrochemical interests extend to energy regimes
much higher than those typically examined by molecular dynamics.
Methodological challenges and data needs are explored.
