THE EMISSION CONTINUUM OF ELECTRON EXCITED MOLECULAR HYDROGEN

Author Institution: Jet Propulsion Laboratory; University of Southern California, Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Observatoire de Paris, Section de Meudon, Jet Propulsion LaboratoryPhoto-excitation of hydrogen molecule from the $X^{1}\Sigma^{+}_{g}$ state to the $B^{1}\Sigma_{u}^{+}$, $C^{1}\Pi_{u}$, $B^{\prime}$ ${^{1}\Sigma}_{u}^{+}$, and D $^{1}\Pi_{u}$ states and subsequent emission to the dissociation continuum is the primary destruction mechanism of $H_{2}$ in interstellar clouds. We have recently calculated continuum emission profiles of $B^{1}\Sigma^{+}_{u} - X^{1}\Sigma^{+}_{g}, C^{1}\Pi_{u}, - X^{1}\Sigma^{+}_{g}, B^{\prime} {^{1}\Sigma}^{+}_{u} - X^{1}\Sigma^{+}_{g}$, and D $^{1}\Pi_{u} - X ^{1}\Sigma^{+}_{g}$ transitions of $H_{2}$. Synthetic spectra based on the calculated profiles are in excellent agreement with high-resolution electron-impact induced emission spectra obtained at 100eV. An improved intensity calibration standard and dissociation yields of the Lyman and Werner continuua produced by both electron and photon impact excitation will be presented