Astronomical identification of CN<sup>-</sup>, the smallest observed molecular anion

Agúndez, M.; Cernicharo, J.; Guélin, M.; Kahane, C.; Roueff, E.; Kłos, J.; J. Aoiz, F.; Lique, F.; Marcelino, N.; R. Goicoechea, J.; González García, M.; A. Gottlieb, C.; C. McCarthy, M.; Thaddeus, P.

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201015186

Public

Astronomical identification of CN-, the smallest observed molecular anion

Published in Astronomy and Astrophysics • Jul 1, 2010

Authors:

M. Agúndez

J. Cernicharo

M. Guélin

Abstract

We present the first astronomical detection of a diatomic negative ion, the cyanide anion CN-, and quantum mechanical calculations of the excitation of this anion by means of collisions with para-H2. The anion CN- is identified by observing the J = 2–1 and J = 3–2 rotational transitions in the C-sta...

Subject

Physics

Ion

Diatomic molecule

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