Search for interstellar silicon nitride

Journal Article · Fri Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/162091· OSTI ID:6351491

Ziurys, L M; Clemens, D P; Saykally, R J; Colvin, M; Schaefer, H F

We have searched for the N = 2-l rotational transI-tion of silicon nitride, SiN, at 87 GHz. Upper limits to the SiN column densities are NL/sub siN/ < or = l0/sup 12/-l0/sup 15/ cm-2. The ratios of the abundances of SiN to CN toward the four sources observed are SiN/CN < or = 0.002-0.08, significantly less than the silicon-to-carbon ratI-o of 0.l. These ratios suggest that either silicon is depleted onto grains where CN is present, or that ion-molecule chemistry does not favor the production of SiN. Upper limits to the SiN/SiO ratios are significantly less than the nitrogen-to-oxygen ratio for Orion-KL and IRC + l0216 indicating that the chemistry responsible for producing SiO does not correspondingly produce SiN. We report detection of /sup 30/SiS toward IRC + l02l6, and comparison with /sup 28/SiS and /sup 29/SiS yields terrestrial isotopic abundance ratios for silicon.

• Research Organization: Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley
• OSTI ID: 6351491
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J.; (United States) Vol. 281:1; ISSN ASJOA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640105* -- Astrophysics &amp; Cosmology-- Galaxies
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ABUNDANCE
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON NITRIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
ENERGY LEVELS
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
EXCITED STATES
INTERSTELLAR GRAINS
NITRIDES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
PNICTIDES
ROTATIONAL STATES
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON NITRIDES
SILICON OXIDES
SPECTRA