Confirmation of Interstellar Methylene
Abstract
Four spectral emission features of the NKK = 404 -313 rotational transition of methylene (CH2) have been detected at signal levels 5-7 sigma above noise toward the hot core of the Orion-KL nebula and the molecular cloud in proximity to the continuum source W51 M. Specifically, in both sources we have resolved the F = 6-5, 5-4, and 4-3 hyperfine transitions of the J = 5-4 fine-structure levels and detected the blended hyperfine structure of the J = 4-3 fine structure levels. At the J = 3-2 fine-structure levels, we have observed new transitions of NS, a known interstellar molecule, which severely contaminates the search for CH2 hyperfine transitions. These new sensitive observations finally confirm the existence of interstellar CH2 which was tentatively reported by us some years ago.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- January 1995
- DOI:
- 10.1086/175070
- Bibcode:
- 1995ApJ...438..259H
- Keywords:
-
- Emission Spectra;
- Interstellar Matter;
- Methylene;
- Molecular Clouds;
- Orion Nebula;
- Rotational Spectra;
- Abundance;
- Hyperfine Structure;
- Astrophysics;
- ISM: INDIVIDUAL NAME: ORION KLEINMANN-LOW;
- ISM: MOLECULES;
- LINE: IDENTIFICATION