Time-resolved infrared emission spectra of naphthalene under gas phase laboratory and astrophysical conditions

The relaxation of neutral naphthalene C10H8 upon electronic excitation is theoretically modeled as a function of time by considering infrared emission cascade in competition with statistical dissociation, within the framework of kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. The possible importance of collisional energy transfer with a surrounding low-density medium is evaluated, and shown to agree with existing measurements.