2019MNRAS.484..659Y

Cross-sections for dissociative recombination (DR) and vibrational excitation of the CH₂NH_2^+ ion in collisions with electrons are determined theoretically. The corresponding thermally averaged rate coefficients are computed and fitted to analytical formulas. The obtained DR rate coefficient is significantly smaller than the values recently employed in the photochemical models of the upper atmosphere of Titan, which has an important impact on the models that aim to reproduce the Titan ammonia abundance. On the other hand, the present results support the astrophysical models reproducing the abundance of the methanimine (CH₂NH) detected in massive star formation regions. In these models, the CH₂NH_2^+ DR is a major route of formation of this molecule with a high prebiotic potential.