Carbon-chain chemistry in the interstellar medium
Reviewartikel, 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

Författare

Kotomi Taniguchi

National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

Prasanta Gorai

Universitetet i Oslo

Chalmers, Rymd-, geo- och miljövetenskap, Astronomi och plasmafysik

Jonathan Tan

Chalmers, Rymd-, geo- och miljövetenskap, Astronomi och plasmafysik

University of Virginia

Astrophysics and Space Science

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

Vol. 369 4 34

Ämneskategorier

Astronomi, astrofysik och kosmologi

DOI

10.1007/s10509-024-04292-9

Mer information

Senast uppdaterat

2024-07-03