A number of molecules have been detected in the interstellar medium, in circumstellar envelopes around evolved stars, and comae and tails of comets through observation of their microwave, infrared, or optical spectra. The following list gives the molecules and the particular isotopic species that have been reported so far. Molecules are listed by molecular formula in the Hill order.* All species not footnoted otherwise are observed in interstellar clouds, while some are also found in comets and circumstellar clouds. The list was last updated through November 2020 and lists 241 molecules (473 isotopic forms). Information on structural bond lengths, angles, and configuration for many of the molecules listed here can be found in “Structure of Free Molecules in the Gas Phase” in Section 9. See Ref. 1 for transition frequencies reported for a typical molecular cloud and Ref. 2 for a discussion of comet observations. Laboratory measurements and predicted frequencies may be found in Refs. 3 and 4.
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Mol. form | Name | Isotopic species* | Synonym |
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AlCl | Aluminum monochloride | Al35Cla | |
AlCl | Aluminum monochloride | Al37Cla | |
AlF | Aluminum monofluoride | AlFa | |
AlF | Aluminum monofluoride | 26AlFa | |
AlHO | Aluminum hydroxide | AlOHa | |
AlO | Aluminum monoxide | AlOa | |
ArH+ | Argonium | 36ArH+ | |
ArH+ | Argonium | 38ArH+ | |
CAlN | Aluminum isocyanide | AlNCa | |
CCaN | Calcium isocyanide | CaNCa | |
CF+ | Fluoromethyliumylidene | CF+ | |
CFeN | Iron cyanide | FeCN | |
CH | Methylidyne | CH | |
CH | Methylidyne | 13CH | |
CH+ | Methyliumylidene | CH+ | |
CH+ | Methyliumylidene | 13CH+ | |
CHMgN | Magnesium hydride isocyanide | HMgNCa | |
CHN | Hydrogen cyanide | HCN | Hydrocyanic acid |
CHN | Hydrogen cyanide | H13CN | Hydrocyanic acid |
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