Electron interactions with astro chemical compounds

Abstract

In present work electron induced processes with important astro-compounds found in the tholins of Titan are investigated. We report calculated total elastic cross sections Qel, total inelastic cross sections Qinel, total ionization cross sections Qion, total excitation cross sections ∑Qexc and total cross sections QT for hydrogen cyanide (HCN), cyanoacetylene (HCCCN), vinyl cyanide (CH2CHCN), methanimine (CH2NH) and ethanimine (CH3CHNH) on electron impact for energies from ionization threshold to 5 keV. We have employed the Spherical Complex Optical Potential (SCOP) formalism to investigate elastic as well as inelastic processes and used Complex Scattering Potential – ionization contribution (CSP-ic) method to derive ionization cross sections. In absence of any theoretical or experimental data of ionization cross sections except for HCN and HCCCN, we have computed Qion using the Binary- Encounter- Bethe (BEB) method for all these molecules and have found reasonable agreement. This is the maiden attempt to report various total cross sections for all these astro-molecules except HCN and HCCCN.