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Title: Laboratory optical spectroscopy of the phenoxy radical as a candidate for diffuse interstellar bands

Journal Article · · The Astronomical Journal (Online)
; ;  [1]
  1. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science Division I, Tokyo University of Science, 1-3 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku 162-8601, Tokyo (Japan)

The gas-phase optical absorption spectrum of the B-tilde {sup 2}A{sub 2}← X-tilde {sup 2}B{sub 1} transition of a phenoxy radical (C{sub 6}H{sub 5}O), which is a candidate molecule of diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs), was observed in the discharge of anisole using a cavity ring-down spectrometer. The spectrum comprised four peaks having broad and asymmetric profiles, which were regarded as a vibrational progression of ∼500 cm{sup −1}. The progression was assigned to the 6a mode, and the broad and asymmetric profiles of the peaks accounted for the sequence of the 10b mode. Each component in both the progression and the sequence had a broad structure of 20–30 Å, which can be explained by a convolution of lifetime broadening and a rotational profile. Based on these assignments of the progression and the sequence, the vibronic transitions from v = 0 in the X-tilde {sup 2}B{sub 1} ground state to v{sub 6a} = 0–3 in the B-tilde {sup 2}A{sub 2} excited state were extracted to compare the laboratory bands with DIBs. Although the transitions did not agree with the observed DIBs, the upper limit of the column density for the phenoxy radical in the diffuse clouds toward HD 204827 was evaluated to be 7 × 10{sup 14} cm{sup −2}.

OSTI ID:
22890192
Journal Information:
The Astronomical Journal (Online), Vol. 150, Issue 4; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1538-3881
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English