Rovibrational relaxation model for H3+ -: art. no. 151

A rovibrational relaxation model based on existing levels and transition probabilities for H-3(+) is presented. In this model all H-3(+) levels below 12 000 cm(-1) and their respective transitions are included. The results are compared to Coulomb explosion measurements of the relaxation time of the first vibrational breathing mode and found to yield excellent agreement. Furthermore, the existence of long-lived rotational states with energies up to 1 eV, as detected in DR imaging experiments at the TSR storage ring, is backed by the model. A reduced set of differential equations-including only states below 8000 cm(-1) was set up, which incorporates also induced transitions. This model was used to investigate the heating of subthermal ensembles of H-3(+) ions exposed to 300K blackbody radiation.