Astronomical Detection of Rhomboidal SiC3
Abstract
Seven rotational transitions of SiC3, a planar, highly polar ring molecule, have been detected in the millimeter-wave band in the expanding envelope of the evolved carbon star IRC +10216. On the assumption that SiC3 has the same 40" diameter shell as SiCC, the mean column density of SiC3 is 4.3×1012 cm-2. The rotational excitation of SiC3 is similar to that of SiCC, with a low rotational temperature within the K-stacks of 10-20 K and a high rotational temperature across the K-stacks of roughly 50 K, which is probably close to the kinetic temperature of the shell.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- May 1999
- DOI:
- 10.1086/311998
- Bibcode:
- 1999ApJ...516L.103A
- Keywords:
-
- ISM: MOLECULES;
- LINE: IDENTIFICATION;
- MOLECULAR DATA;
- MOLECULAR PROCESSES;
- RADIO LINES: ISM;
- ISM: Molecules;
- Line: Identification;
- Molecular Data;
- Molecular Processes;
- Radio Lines: ISM