Abstract

Quantum reactive calculations, under the general conditions of early universe chemistry, are carried out for the reaction of H+ ions, expected to be abundant projectiles at those redshift values, with LiH molecules (ν = 0). The results indicate that the outgoing flux, due to the special kinematics induced by the exothermic potential energy surface, is mostly distributed into the LiH survival channels of the fast exothermic reaction. The final, ab initio destruction rates, which are forming H+ 2, are found however to be larger than previous estimates and to exhibit little dependence on LiH internal vibrational energy. The consequences of such findings on the broader network of early universe reactions involving Li-containing molecules will be discussed from an analysis of these newly obtained quantum reaction rates.