Université de Cergy-Pontoise

Feb 20, 2024 | academic.oup.com | Dipartimento di Chimica |Biologia e Biotecnologie |Université de Cergy-Pontoise

To understand the origin of interstellar molecules we rely on astrochemical models, the gas-phase networks of which contain ≥7000 reactions. However, just a tiny fraction of them have parameters derived in laboratory experiments. Theoretical quantum mechanical (QM) calculations can also provide this information. Unfortunately, sometimes theoretical predictions and experimental values disagree, as is the case for the paradigmatic reaction CH OH + OH → CH O + H O.