Interstellar HCO - detection of the missing 3 millimeter quartet

Journal Article · Tue Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1986 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/184655· OSTI ID:5380938

Schenewerk, M S; Snyder, L E; Hjalmarson, A

All four of the strongest 1(01)-0(00) hyperfine lines of the formyl radical, HCO, have been detected for the first time in any interstellar source. Comparisons between these hyperfine lines and the J = 1-0 transition of H13CO+, which was also within the band, suggest that the column densities of HCO in the two typical molecular clouds which were sampled, DR 21 and NGC 2024, are comparable to those of H113CO+ and in excellent agreement with current theoretical chemical models for such sources. Thus, these preliminary results suggest that HCO is not underabundant in typical interstellar molecular clouds. Also, they have significant implications for the use of low sensitivity surveys to detect and analyze species with complex spectra. 7 references

• Research Organization: Illinois Univ., Urbana; Onsala Rymdobservatorium, Sweden
• OSTI ID: 5380938
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J.; (United States) Vol. 303; ISSN ASJOA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640105* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Galaxies
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ABUNDANCE
ACYL RADICALS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
COSMIC GASES
FLUIDS
FORMYL RADICALS
GASES
HYPERFINE STRUCTURE
INTERSTELLAR SPACE
RADICALS
SPACE