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Title: Rotational state-to-state transition rate coefficients for H 2 O + H 2 O collisions at nonequilibrium conditions

Aims.The goal is to develop a database of rate coefficients for rotational state-to-state transitions in H2O + H2O collisions that is suitable for the modeling of energy transfer in nonequilibrium conditions, in which the distribution of rotational states of H2O deviates from local thermodynamic equilibrium.

Methods.A two-temperature model was employed that assumed that although there is no equilibrium between all possible degrees of freedom in the system, the translational and rotational degrees of freedom can be expected to achieve their own equilibria independently, and that they can be approximately characterized by Boltzmann distributions at two different temperatures,TkinandTrot.

Results.Upon introducing our new parameterization of the collisional rates, taking into account their dependence on bothTkinandTrot, we find a change of up to 20% in the H2O rotational level populations for both ortho and para-H2O for the part of the cometary coma where the nonequilibrium regime occurs.

 
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Award ID(s):
2009253
PAR ID:
10558074
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
MNRAS
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Volume:
688
ISSN:
0004-6361
Page Range / eLocation ID:
A208
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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