Molecular Collisions in the Interstellar

In the interstellar medium - which occupies the space between the stars in galaxies - new stars are born from material that is replenished by the debris ejected by stars when they die. This book presents a detailed account of the atomic and molecular processes that give rise to the radiation we observe from the interstellar medium, knowledge that is essential to understanding star formation in our own and other galaxies.

David Flower is a professor of physics at the University of Durham, UK

Interstellar molecules	p. 1
Introduction	p. 1
Chemistry in interstellar clouds	p. 3
Chemical bistability in dense clouds	p. 9
Interstellar shocks and chemistry	p. 12
Introduction	p. 12
The MHD conservation equations	p. 13
The structure of interstellar shock waves	p. 21
Shock waves in dark clouds	p. 29
Shock waves in diffuse clouds	p. 33
The primordial gas	p. 36
Introduction	p. 36
The governing equations	p. 36
The role of molecules	p. 39
Chemistry	p. 42
Gravitational collapse	p. 44
The rotational excitation of molecules	p. 49
Introduction	p. 49
The Born-Oppenheimer approximation	p. 49
The scattering of an atom by a rigid rotator	p. 52
The rotational excitation of non-linear molecules	p. 69
The vibrational excitation of linear molecules	p. 82
Introduction	p. 82
The scattering of an atom by a vibrating rotor	p. 82
Excitation of H[subscript 2] and HD in collisions with H[subscript 2] molecules	p. 92
Cooling functions	p. 93
The excitation of fine structure transitions	p. 98
Introduction	p. 98
Theory of fine structure excitation processes	p. 99
Radiative transfer in molecular lines	p. 118
Introduction	p. 118
The radiative transfer equation	p. 119
The OH radical	p. 124
Producing population inversion	p. 128
Rotational excitation of OH by H[subscript 2]	p. 129
Charge transfer processes	p. 139
Introduction	p. 139
The Landau-Zener model	p. 140
The 'orbiting' model	p. 143
The quantum mechanical model	p. 145
Selective population of excited states	p. 151
Electron collisions	p. 153
Introduction	p. 153
Selection rules and LS-coupling	p. 154
Electron collisional excitation	p. 156
Resonances	p. 158
Forbidden line emission from Herbig-Haro objects	p. 161
Photon collisions	p. 163
Introduction	p. 163
The oscillator strength	p. 163
The transition probability	p. 165
Photoionization and radiative recombination	p. 166
Radiative transitions in molecules	p. 169
The atomic system of units	p. 172
Reaction rate coefficients	p. 173
References	p. 177
Index	p. 185
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Molecular Collisions in the Interstellar Medium

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