Chlorine in dense interstellar clouds - the abundance of HCl in OMC-1
The first detection of a chlorine-bearing molecular species in the interstellar medium via emission from the J = 1-0 transition of HCl at 625.9 GHz toward OMC-1 is reported. The relative strengths, widths, and velocities of the resolved hyperfine components are consistent with moderate optical depth emission originating from dense, quiescent molecular cloud material. The overall emission strength implies a fractional abundance of f(HCl/H2) of about (0.5-5.0) x 10 to the -8th, depending on the density of the emitting region. This is approximately an order of magnitude below previous theoretical estimates and a factor of 3-30 below the cosmic abundance of Cl. Recent laboratory work suggests that the lowered fractional abundance of HCl is caused by a combination of depletion onto grains with gas-phase loss processes such as the reaction of HCl with C(+). 40 references.
- Research Organization:
- California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
- OSTI ID:
- 5799231
- Journal Information:
- Astrophys. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J.; (United States) Vol. 295; ISSN ASJOA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ABUNDANCE
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMISTRY
CHLORINE
COSMIC GASES
COSMOCHEMISTRY
ELEMENTS
EMISSION SPECTRA
FLUIDS
GASES
HALOGENS
HYDROCHLORIC ACID
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
INTERSTELLAR SPACE
MOLECULES
NONMETALS
SPACE
SPECTRA
SPECTROSCOPY