Cooling by H3(+) emission.

Emission by the H3(+) molecular ion may be important in determining the energy balance in astrophysical situations, such as in (exo)planetary atmospheres. Here we report the calculation of a new cooling function, based on refitted partition functions and a recalculation of the total energy emitted by the molecule. This new function gives significantly increased cooling at higher temperatures, typical of those found in the atmospheres of gas giants. It is shown that nonthermal effects also need to be considered. A link to a web-based code to calculate radiative cooling in H2/H3(+) gas mixtures, including the effects of departures from equilibrium, is provided.