CIMMS Lunchtime Series:   Calculating molecules for astrophysics: Inelastic rates vs. reaction rates

Dr. Laurent Wiesenfeld, Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Grenoble, Universite Joseph Fourier Grenoble, France

After a short overview of what molecular astrophysics is, I will present two types of processes: inelastic collisions and reactive collisions. Inelastic collisions are important for understanding spectral line formation. The rates of collision is by now a largely understood process.

Reaction rates in gas phase are much more dificult to understand in details. I will show the limitations of capture theory and propose some avenues of research for Transtion State theory in this domain.