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Astronomical identification of CN-, the smallest observed molecular anion | M. Agundez
; J. Cernicharo
; M. Guelin
; C. Kahane
; E. Roueff
; J. Klos
; F. J. Aoiz
; F. Lique
; N. Marcelino
; J. R. Goicoechea
; M. Gonzalez Garcia
; C. A. Gottlieb
; M. C. McCarthy
; P. Thaddeus
; | Date: |
5 Jul 2010 | Abstract: | We present the first astronomical detection of a diatomic negative ion, the
cyanide anion CN-, as well as quantum mechanical calculations of the excitation
of this anion through collisions with para-H2. CN- is identified through the
observation of the J = 2-1 and J = 3-2 rotational transitions in the C-star
envelope IRC +10216 with the IRAM 30-m telescope. The U-shaped line profiles
indicate that CN-, like the large anion C6H-, is formed in the outer regions of
the envelope. Chemical and excitation model calculations suggest that this
species forms from the reaction of large carbon anions with N atoms, rather
than from the radiative attachment of an electron to CN, as is the case for
large molecular anions. The unexpectedly large abundance derived for CN-, 0.25
% relative to CN, makes likely its detection in other astronomical sources. A
parallel search for the small anion C2H- remains so far unconclusive, despite
the previous tentative identification of the J = 1-0 rotational transition. The
abundance of C2H- in IRC +10216 is found to be vanishingly small, < 0.0014 %
relative to C2H. | Source: | arXiv, 1007.0662 | Services: | Forum | Review | PDF | Favorites |
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