Related papers: CH2D+, the Search for the Holy Grail
We have studied the evolution of molecular gas during the early stages of protostellar collapse. In addition to allowing for the freeze out of `heavy' species on to grains, we have computed the variation of population densities of the…
Research on interstellar ND3 is reviewed and updated from the discovery papers. Results from observations of a dozen sources at centimeter and submillimeter wavelengths are presented. The two data sets are consistent, but do not constrain…
The chemistry in the diffuse interstellar medium initiates the gradual increase of molecular complexity during the life cycle of matter. A key molecule that enables build-up of new molecular bonds and new molecules via proton-donation is…
We consider the possibility that solid molecular hydrogen is present in interstellar space. If so cosmic-rays and energetic photons cause ionisation in the solid leading to the formation of H6+. This ion is not produced by gas-phase…
The low carbon content of Earth and primitive meteorites compared to the Sun and interstellar grains suggests that carbon-rich grains were destroyed in the inner few astronomical units of the young solar system. A promising mechanism to…
Deuterated molecules are important chemical tracers of prestellar and protostellar cores. Up to now, the titular reaction has been assumed to contribute to the generation of these deuterated molecules. We have measured the merged-beams rate…
High quality archival spectra of interstellar absorption from C I toward 9 stars, taken with the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope, were analyzed. Our sample was supplemented by two sight lines, 23 Ori and…
The first definite discoveries of extragalactic deuterium are reported. DCO$^+$ has been detected in three and DCN has been measured in one star-forming region of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). While the HCO$^+$/DCO$^+$ abundance ratios…
Much of the dense gas in molecular clouds has a filamentary structure but the detailed structure and evolution of this gas is poorly known. We have observed 54 cores in infrared dark clouds (IRDCs) using N$_2$H$^+$ (1-0) and (3-2) to…
Clouds of high infrared extinction are promising sites of massive star/cluster formation. A large number of cloud cores discovered in recent years allows investigation of possible evolutionary sequence among cores in early phases. We have…
We report on the detection of vinyl cyanide (CH2CHCN), cyanomethyl radical (CH2CN), methylacetylene (CH3CCH) and thioformaldehyde (H2CS) in the C-rich star IRC +10216. These species, which are all known to exist in dark clouds, are detected…
Deuterated molecules are good tracers of the evolutionary stage of star-forming cores. During the star formation process, deuterated molecules are expected to be enhanced in cold, dense pre-stellar cores and to deplete after protostellar…
Extremely high deuteration of several molecules have been observed around low mass protostars since a decade. Among them, formaldehyde and methanol present particularly high deuteration, with observations of abundant doubly and triply…
Trapped Be+ ions are a leading platform for quantum information science [1], but reactions with background gas species, such as H2 and H2O, result in qubit loss. Our experiment reveals that the BeOH+ ion is the final trapped ion species…
Aims. We model a diffuse molecular cloud present along the line of sight to the star HD 102065. We compare our modeling with observations to test our understanding of physical conditions and chemistry in diffuse molecular clouds. Methods.…
We have carried out a systematic search for the molecular ion CO+ in a sample of 8 protoplanetary and planetary nebulae in order to determine the origin of the unexpectedly strong HCO+ emission previously detected in these sources. An…
We are carrying out a physical and chemical study of the protostellar envelopes in a representative sample of IM Class 0 protostars. In our first paper (Crimier et al. 2010), we determined the physical structure (density-temperature radial…
The internal energy available in vibrationally excited H2 molecules can be used to overcome or diminish the activation barrier of various chemical reactions of interest for molecular astrophysics. In this article we investigate in detail…
We report on the first far-IR detection of H2D+, using the Infrared Space Observatory, in the line of sight toward Sgr B2 in the galactic center. The transition at 126.853 um connecting the ground level of o-H2D+, 1_1,1 with the the 2_1,2…
We present observations of the singly and doubly deuterated species of thioformaldehyde, HDCS and D$_2$CS, towards the dark cloud Barnard 1. This is the first detection of D$_2$CS in Space and in dense and cold prestellar regions. Column…