Postdoctoral Fellowship: AAPF: Improved Astrochemical Data for Diffuse Cloud Models: Theoretical Dissociative Recombination Rate Coefficients for OH+, H2O+, and H2Cl+

Josh Forer被授予美国国家科学基金会天文学和天体物理学奖学金，在哥伦比亚大学开展一项研究和教育计划。Forer将研究需要理解的微观化学反应，以跟踪星系中形成恒星的气体云的演化。此外，Forer还将指导巴纳德学院（Barnard College）女子本科院校的暑期研究，参加哥伦比亚大学（Columbia University）的天文公共推广计划（Astronomy Public Outreach program）的免费公开讲座，并教授对数学和物理有浓厚兴趣的高中生。Forer将开发理论和代码来描述OH+， H20+和H2Cl+在散射能量与扩散云温度相关时的解离重组（DR）。将产生这些离子的状态选择的振动动力学DR速率系数（需要，但不可用），以限制分子氢的相对丰度，推断出原子氢的宇宙射线电离率和星际辐射场。这些限制使得天体化学模型能够描绘出弥漫星际云从几乎纯原子到越来越多分子的转变——这是恒星形成的关键早期步骤。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Josh Forer is awarded an NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Fellowship to carry out a program of research and education at Columbia University. Forer will study microscopic chemical reactions that need to be understood to track the evolution of star-forming gas clouds in galaxies. Additionally, Forer will mentor summer research with the women's undergraduate institution Barnard College, participate in Columbia University's Astronomy Public Outreach program of free public talks, and teach high school students with a strong interest in math and physics.Forer will develop theory and code to describe the dissociative recombination (DR) of OH+, H20+, and H2Cl+ at scattering energies relevant to diffuse cloud temperatures. State-selected rovibronic kinetic DR rate coefficients (needed, but not available) of these ions will be produced to place constraints on the relative abundance of molecular hydrogen, the inferred cosmic-ray ionization rate of atomic hydrogen, and the interstellar radiation field. These constraints allow astrochemical models to map the transition of diffuse interstellar clouds from almost purely atomic to increasingly molecular — a crucial early step in star formation.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.