Radiative association for the formation of MgO

Abstract

The radiative association process for the formation of magnesium oxide (MgO) may be of great importance due to its frequent occurrence in the low-density and dust-poor astrochemical environments. In this work, the cross-sections and rate coefficients for the A1Π → X1Σ+, ${\rm X}^1\Sigma ^+\, \rightarrow \, {\rm A}^1\Pi$, D1Δ → A1Π, a3Π → e3Σ−, ${\rm X}^1\Sigma ^+\, \rightarrow \, {\rm X}^1\Sigma ^+$, and A1Π → A1Π radiative association processes of forming MgO are theoretically estimated. The cross-sections for the transitions between the different states are obtained by using the semiclassical method for direct contributions and the Breit–Wigner theory as a complement for resonance contributions. For the transitions between the same states, the quantum mechanical method is used. The rate coefficients are then obtained from the cross-sections for the temperatures in the range of 10–10 000 K and the results are found to vary from 4.69 $\times \, 10^{-16}$ to 6.27 $\times \, 10^{-14}$ cm3 s−1. For temperatures lower than around 693 K, the rate coefficients for the A1Π → X1Σ+ process are dominant, which indicates this process is the most efficient way of producing MgO at low temperatures. However, the rate coefficients for the D1Δ → A1Π process go through a rapid increase with increasing temperature and become dominant at higher temperatures. For other processes, their rate coefficients are several orders of magnitude lower than those for the two processes mentioned above. The results can be used to further investigate the formation and evolution of MgO in low density and hot gas close to the photosphere of evolved oxygen-rich stars.