Far-infrared Detection of C[TINF]3[/TINF] in Sagittarius B2 and IRC +10216

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
We report on the detection of nine lines of the ν2 bending mode of triatomic carbon, C3, in the direction of Sagittarius B2. The R(4) and R(2) lines of C3 have been also detected in the carbon-rich star IRC +10216. The abundances of C3 in the direction of Sgr B2 and IRC +10216 are 3 × 10-8 and 10-6, respectively. In Sgr B2 we have also detected the 23-12 line of NH with an abundance of a few times 10-9. Polyatomic molecules will have a weak contribution from their pure rotational spectrum to the emission/absorption in the far-infrared. We suggest, however, that they could be, through their low-lying vibrational bending modes, the dominant carriers of emission/absorption in the spectrum of bright far-infrared sources.

This publication has 23 references indexed in Scilit: