Carbon-chain chemistry in the interstellar medium
Review article, 2024

The presence of carbon-chain molecules in the interstellar medium (ISM) has been known since the early 1970s and >130 such species have been identified to date, making up ∼43% of the total of detected ISM molecules. They are prevalent not only in star-forming regions in our Galaxy but also in other galaxies. These molecules provide important information on physical conditions, gas dynamics, and evolutionary stages of star-forming regions. Larger species of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and fullerenes (C60 and C70), which may be related to the formation of the carbon-chain molecules, have been detected in circumstellar envelopes around carbon-rich Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars and planetary nebulae, while PAHs are also known to be a widespread component of the ISM in most galaxies. Recently, two line survey projects toward Taurus Molecular Cloud-1 with large single-dish telescopes have detected many new carbon-chain species, including molecules containing benzene rings. These new findings raise fresh questions about carbon-bearing species in the Universe. This article reviews various aspects of carbon-chain molecules, including observational studies, chemical simulations, quantum calculations, and laboratory experiments, and discusses open questions and how future facilities may answer them.

ISM: molecules

Astrochemistry

ISM: abundances

Author

Kotomi Taniguchi

National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

Prasanta Gorai

University of Oslo

Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Astronomy and Plasmaphysics

Jonathan Tan

Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Astronomy and Plasmaphysics

University of Virginia

Astrophysics and Space Science

0004-640X (ISSN) 1572-946X (eISSN)

Vol. 369 4 34

Subject Categories

Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology

DOI

10.1007/s10509-024-04292-9

More information

Latest update

7/3/2024 8