Interstellar molecular abundances toward omicron Persei

Journal Article · Wed Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1975 · Astrophys. J., Lett., v. 201, no. 1, pp. L21-L24

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/181931· OSTI ID:4108551

Snow, Jr, T P

Extensive scanning of the B1 III star o Per (V=3.79, EB-V=0.32 mag) has been done with the Copernicus telescope-spectrometer in an effort to determine column densities or meaningful upper limits for several molecules expected to be relatively abundant in H i regions of moderate density. The combination of radio H i, OH, and CO emission-line data with the optical absorption measurements indicates that o Per is embedded in the near edge of a dense molecular cloud, and that the material seen in front of the star must be close to it. Molecules detected in ultraviolet absorption are H$sub 2$, HD, CO, and possibly OH. The CO rotational temperature is 2.2 Kless than or equal toT/sub rot/less than or equal to3.8 K. The observed column densities and upper limits from Copernicus and ground-based data are compared with recent models for molecular formation in diffuse clouds. (AIP)

• Research Organization: Princeton University Observatory
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-33-018177
• OSTI ID: 4108551
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J., Lett., v. 201, no. 1, pp. L21-L24, Journal Name: Astrophys. J., Lett., v. 201, no. 1, pp. L21-L24; ISSN AJLEA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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