Discovery of the first Ca-bearing molecule in space: CaNC
Journal article, 2019

We report on the detection of calcium isocyanide, CaNC, in the carbon-rich evolved star IRC + 10216. We derived a column density for this species of (2 +/- 0.5) x 10(11) cm(-2). Based on the observed line profiles and the modelling of its emission through the envelope, the molecule has to be produced in the intermediate and outer layers of the circumstellar envelope where other metal-isocyanides have previously been found in this source. The abundance ratio of CaNC relative to MgNC and FeCN is congruent to 1/60 and congruent to 1, respectively. We searched for the species CaF, CaCl, CaC, CaCCH, and CaCH3 for which accurate frequency predictions are available. Only upper limits have been obtained for these molecules.

stars: individual: IRC+10216

line: identification

molecular data

astrochemistry

stars: carbon

circumstellar matter

Author

J. Cernicharo

Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)

Luis Velilla Prieto

Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Astronomy and Plasmaphysics

M. Agundez

Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)

J. R. Pardo

Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)

J. P. Fonfria

Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)

G. Quintana-Lacaci

Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)

C. Cabezas

Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)

C. Bermudez

Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)

M. Guelin

Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)

Astronomy and Astrophysics

0004-6361 (ISSN) 1432-0746 (eISSN)

Vol. 627 L4

Subject Categories

Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences

Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology

Ecology

DOI

10.1051/0004-6361/201936040

More information

Latest update

11/27/2019