Detection of deuterated formaldehyde in interstellar clouds

Journal Article · Sat Sep 15 04:00:00 EDT 1979 · Astrophys. J., Lett. Ed.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/183058· OSTI ID:5636623

Langer, W D; Frerking, M A; Linke, R A; Wilson, R W

Deuterated formaldehyde, HDCO, has been observed for the first time in interstellar clouds by the detection of emission from its J/sub K/-1,K+1=2/sub 02/..-->..1/sub 01/ transition at 128.81291 GHz Comparison of these data with line strengths of the millimeter emission lines of H/sub 2/CO implies that deuterium fractionation of formaldehyde is comparable to that found for other deuterated species. This indicates that formaldehyde is probably formed by gas-phase ion-molecule reactions rather than on grains. A comparison of the HDCO and H/sub 2/CO spectra for two dark clouds suggests that the centimeter and millimeter wavelength lines of H/sub 2/CO arise from different regions within the clouds.

• Research Organization: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
• OSTI ID: 5636623
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J., Lett. Ed.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J., Lett. Ed.; (United States) Vol. 232:3; ISSN AJLEA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640105* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Galaxies
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ALDEHYDES
CHEMISTRY
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
COSMOCHEMISTRY
DEUTERIUM
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EMISSION SPECTRA
FORMALDEHYDE
H1 REGIONS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
INTERSTELLAR GRAINS
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
NEBULAE
NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
RADIATIONS
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
SPECTRA
STABLE ISOTOPES