Prospects for the involvement of transition metals in the chemistry of diffuse interstellar clouds: formation of FeH⁺ by radiative association

Transition metals traditionally have been ignored in chemical models of interstellar clouds. Themochemical considerations indicate that the formation of several important species can be catalyzed by transition metal ions. The importance of such chemistry depends critically upon the rate of conversion of atomic metal ions into molecular species. Potential energy curves and transition moments have been calculated and a simple model employed to determine the rate constant for the appropriate reaction of iron, FeH⁺ formation by radiative association.