Quenching of molecular ions by He buffer loading at ultralow energies: rotational cooling of OH<Superscript>+</Superscript>(<Superscript>3</Superscript>Σ<Superscript>-</Superscript>) from quantum calculations

An ab initio computed potential energy surface is employed to evaluate the interaction of the OH⁺(³Σ ^-) molecule with ⁴He(¹S) atom and an analytic fitting of the raw points is directly employed in quantum scattering calculations at ultralow collision energies. The Hund's case (b) chosen to handle the spin-rotation coupling allows to extract from the numerous inelastic cross sections the relative importance of pure “spin flip" vis-à- vis rotational cooling cross sections. The final rates of all the above processes as a function of the initial |N〉 state are analysed in detail and possible propensity rules are discussed.