Nitric oxide in star-forming regions - Further evidence for interstellar N-O bonds

Journal Article · Sat Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1991 · Astrophysical Journal; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/170072· OSTI ID:5587278

Ziurys, L M; Mcgonagle, D; Minh, Y; Irvine, W M ^[1]

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1. Arizona State University, Tempe (USA) Steward Observatory, Tucson (USA) Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory, Amherst, MA (USA)

Nitric oxide has been newly detected toward several star-forming clouds, including Orion-KL, Sgr B2(N), W33A, W51M, and DR21(OH) via its J = 3/2{minus}1/2 transitions near 150 GHz, using the FCRAO 14 m telescope. Both lambda-doubling components of NO were observed toward all sources. Column densities derived for nitric oxide in these clouds are 10 to the 15th{minus}10 to the 16th/sq cm, corresponding to fractional abundances of 0.5{minus}1.0 {times} 10 to the {minus}8th, relative to H2. Toward Orion-KL, the NO line profile suggests that the species arises primarily from hot, dense gas. Nitric oxide may arise from warm material toward the other clouds as well. Nitric oxide in star-forming regions could be synthesized by high-temperature reactions, although the observed abundances do not disagree with values predicted from low-temperature, ion-molecule chemistry by more than one order of magnitude. 40 refs.

• OSTI ID: 5587278
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal; (United States) Vol. 373; ISSN ASJOA; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640105* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Galaxies
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ABUNDANCE
CHALCOGENIDES
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMISTRY
COSMIC GASES
COSMOCHEMISTRY
DETECTION
ELEMENT ABUNDANCE
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
GASES
HYDROGEN
INTERSTELLAR SPACE
IONS
MOLECULAR IONS
NITRIC OXIDE
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
NONMETALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SPACE
STAR EVOLUTION
TELESCOPES