Quantum capture of charged particles by rapidly rotating symmetric top molecules with small dipole moments: analytical comparison of the fly-wheel and adiabatic channel limits

Abstract

The rate coefficients for capture of charged particles by spherical top molecules, which by isotopic substitution become symmetric top molecules with small dipole moment, are expressed analytically for the two limiting cases of weak coupling of the molecular angular momentum to the collision axis (dominating Coriolis interaction, the fly-wheel [FW] approximation) and strong coupling (negligible Coriolis interaction, the adiabatic channel [AC] approximation). The comparison leads to relations between rate coefficients for ultra-low (FW) and moderate (AC) temperatures and defines the range of parameters for which the analytical expressions become insufficient and a numerical treatment is necessary.