Rate of H₂ formation on amorphous grains

Abstract

The rate of formation of molecular hydrogen from hydrogen atoms adsorbed on grains is analyzed, assuming that the grains are single crystals, polycrystalline or amorphous. On polycrystalline grains, and on graphite platelets, this rate could be orders of magnitude lower than on single crystal grains. The same is true for amorphous grains because there, at low temperatures, only atoms absorbed on neighboring sites can form molecules. Suitable formulae are derived and compared with the classical results for single crystal grains. Quantitative results are given for crystalline and amorphous ice, but with small changes these should also be valid for other solids. The rates for amorphous grains can approximate, within a factor of 10 or so, those for crystalline grains if the density of H atoms is high and the density of H₂ molecules is low and only when the temperature of the grains satisfies a relation which for ice and graphite leads to a value in the proximity of 15–17 K. This maximum rate occurs only a degree or so above the temperature at which the grains are totally covered by an H₂ layer and the reaction ceases. Furthermore, for a constant number density of grains, the rates on amorphous grains are second order while those on crystalline grains are first order. Both these circumstances predict amorphous grains to lead to H₂ clouds with irregular and sharply delineated features in contrast to more uniform clouds formed on crystalline grains.