REACTION OF ANTHRACENE WITH ATOMIC IONS OF INTERSTELLAR INTEREST - A FALP MEASUREMENT AT ROOM-TEMPERATURE

We present the results obtained on studying the reaction of anthracene with some atomic ions of interstellar interest (He+ and C+) and with Ar+. Rate coefficients have been measured at room temperature (293 K) in afterglow experiments using flowing afterglow Langmuir probe-mass s pectrometer apparatus. Reactions proceed with rate coefficients of res pectively 5.2 X 10(-9), 3 X 10(-9), 1 X 10(-9) cm(3) s(-1) for He+, C and Ar+. The results were obtained with an uncertainty of about 30% a nd were found to be close to the Langevin rate. The nature of the prod ucts has also been investigated. More particularly, the evidence for c arbon accretion and for the production of doubly charged species is di scussed.