Related papers: Is H3+ cooling ever important in primordial gas?
We study the effects of HD molecules on thermochemical evolution of the primordial gas behind shock waves, possibly arised in the process of galaxy formation. We find the critical shock velocity when deuterium transforms efficiently into HD…
We use numerical simulations to investigate the importance of HD formation and cooling on the first generation of metal-free stars in a LCDM cosmology. We have implemented and tested non-equilibrium HD chemistry in an adaptive mesh…
On galactic scales, the surface density of star formation appears to be well correlated with the surface density of molecular gas. This has lead many authors to suggest that there exists a causal relationship between the chemical state of…
The H3+ molecular ion plays a fundamental role in interstellar chemistry, as it initiates a network of chemical reactions that produce many interstellar molecules. In dense clouds, the H3+ abundance is understood using a simple chemical…
The first billion years in the evolution of the Universe mark the formation of the first stars, black holes and galaxies. The radiation from the first galaxies plays an important role in determining the final state of primordial gas…
We find that at redshifts z > 10, HD line cooling allows strongly-shocked primordial gas to cool to the temperature of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). This temperature is the minimum value attainable via radiative cooling. Provided…
We have reviewed the chemistry and cooling behaviour of low-density (n<10^4 cm^-3) primordial gas and devised a cooling model wich involves 19 collisional and 9 radiative processes and is applicable for temperatures in the range (1 K < T <…
The chemistry in the diffuse interstellar medium initiates the gradual increase of molecular complexity during the life cycle of matter. A key molecule that enables build-up of new molecular bonds and new molecules via proton-donation is…
In massive primordial galaxies, the gas may directly collapse and form a single central massive object if cooling is suppressed. Line cooling by molecular hydrogen can be suppressed in the presence of a strong soft-ultraviolet radiation…
The influence of the first stars on the formation of second-generation objects at high redshift may be determined, in part, by their metal enrichment of surrounding gas. At a critical metallicity, Zcrit, primordial gas cools more…
We investigate the role of the H_2^+ channel on H_2 molecule formation during the collapse of primordial gas clouds immersed in strong radiation fields which are assumed to have the shape of a diluted black-body spectra with temperature…
The study of primordial chemistry of molecules adresses a number of interesting questions pertaining to the thermal balance of collapsing molecular protoclouds. In numerous astrophysical cases molecular cooling and heating influence…
Molecular hydrogen (H$_2$) and hydrogen deuteride (HD) are key coolants in primordial gas and regulate the formation of the first stars and proto-galaxies. Recent results from the James Webb Space Telescope provide striking insights into…
The first massive stars may influence the formation of second-generation stars, in part by their metal enrichment of the surrounding gas. We investigate the "critical metallicity", defined as the the value, Z_crit, at which primordial gas…
At the low temperatures ($\sim$10 K) and high densities ($\sim$100,000 H$_2$ molecules per cc) of molecular cloud cores and protostellar envelopes, a large amount of molecular species (in particular those containing C and O) freeze-out onto…
Recent observations by Bania et al. (2002) measure He3 versus oxygen in Galactic HII regions, finding that He3/H is within a factor of 2 of the solar abundance for [O/H] > -0.6. These results are consistent with a flat behavior in this…
The H3+ and H2D+ ions are important probes of the physical and chemical conditions in regions of the interstellar medium where new stars are forming. This paper reviews how observations of these species and of heavier ions such as HCO+ and…
We review and update some aspects of deuterium chemistry in the post-recombination Universe with particular emphasis on the formation and destruction of HD. We examine in detail the available theoretical and experimental data for the…
Most stars in the Galaxy, including the Sun, were born in high-mass star-forming regions. It is hence important to study the chemical processes in these regions to better understand the chemical heritage of both the Solar System and most…
The low carbon content of Earth and primitive meteorites compared to the Sun and interstellar grains suggests that carbon-rich grains were destroyed in the inner few astronomical units of the young solar system. A promising mechanism to…