The pure rotation spectrum of the hydroxyl radical and the solar oxygen abundance

Abstract
Observations of pure rotation 2Π (0–0) lines of the hydroxyl radical in the solar photospheric spectrum provide a new and independent determination of the solar oxygen abundance. These OH lines with the Holweger–Müller model atmosphere give log (O) = 8.84 which is within 0.08 dex of the abundance provided by the [O I] lines and the same model. It is pointed out that a detection of the CH pure rotation lines would permit a determination of the O/C abundance ratio with a much reduced sensitivity to the model atmosphere uncertainties. Selected combinations of atomic and molecular (not including the OH pure rotation lines) lines give log ∈(O)/∈(C) = 0.23 ± 0.03 dex.

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