| DOI | Resolve DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-023-01231-z |
|---|
| Author | Search for: Mi, Yonghao1ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2905-637X; Search for: Wang, EnliangORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5703-6501; Search for: Dube, Zack1; Search for: Wang, Tian1ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7137-0725; Search for: Naumov, A. Y.1; Search for: Villeneuve, D. M.1; Search for: Corkum, P. B.1; Search for: Staudte, André1ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8284-3831 |
|---|
| Affiliation | - National Research Council of Canada. Security and Disruptive Technologies
|
|---|
| Funder | Search for: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft; Search for: Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung; Search for: United States Department of Defense | United States Air Force | U.S. Air Force Academy; Search for: Canadian Network for Research and Innovation in Machining Technology, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada |
|---|
| Format | Text, Article |
|---|
| Abstract | The H₂–H₂ molecular dimer is of fundamental importance in the study of chemical interactions because of its unique bonding properties and its ability to model more complex systems. The trihydrogen cation H₃⁺ is also a key intermediate in a range of chemical processes in interstellar environments, such as the formation of various organic molecules and early stars. However, the unexpected high abundance of H₃⁺ in molecular clouds remains challenging to explain. Here using near-infrared, femtosecond laser pulses and coincidence momentum imaging, we find that the dominant channel after photoionization of a deuterium molecular dimer (D₂–D₂) is the ejection of a deuterium atom within a few hundred femtoseconds, leading to the formation of D₃⁺. The formation mechanism is supported and well-reproduced by ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. This pathway of D₃⁺ formation from ultracold D₂–D₂ gas may provide insights into the high abundance of H₃⁺ in the interstellar medium. |
|---|
| Publication date | 2023-06-01 |
|---|
| Publisher | Nature Research |
|---|
| In | |
|---|
| Related data | |
|---|
| Language | English |
|---|
| Peer reviewed | Yes |
|---|
| Identifier | 1231 |
|---|
| Export citation | Export as RIS |
|---|
| Report a correction | Report a correction (opens in a new tab) |
|---|
| Record identifier | 7d5cc773-ef19-414c-a338-dd0af19e520c |
|---|
| Record created | 2023-06-06 |
|---|
| Record modified | 2023-11-06 |
|---|
