Coulomb explosion of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons induced by heavy cosmic rays: carbon chains production rates

Abstract

Synopsis The interstellar medium contains both polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and cosmic rays. The frontal impact of a single heavy cosmic ray strips out many electrons. The highly charged species then relax by multi-fragmentation, potentially feeding the interstellar medium with hydrocarbon chains. We model both ionization(s) and fragmentation processes and compute the fragments production rates of particular interest for astrophysical models.