Methanol in the Circumstellar Envelope of IRC +10°216

Abstract
Millimeter-wave observations of the extremely carbon-rich circumstellar envelope of IRC +10°216 show several emission lines that we identify with rotational transitions of methanol. We describe our observations and the reasoning that led to this identification. We argue that shock chemistry, ion-molecule reactions, and grain surface reactions might all be potential sources of circumstellar methanol. Each of these pathways either requires or produces H2O in the envelope of IRC +10°216.

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