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Section: 14 | Interstellar Molecules |
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The table 'Interstellar Molecules Observed to Date (November 2021)' has one or more different columns to those in the book version.
How to Cite this Reference
The recommended form of citation is:
John R. Rumble, ed., CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 103rd Edition (Internet Version 2022), CRC Press/Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton, FL.
If a specific table is cited, use the format: "Physical Constants of Organic Compounds," in CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 103rd Edition (Internet Version 2022), John R. Rumble, ed., CRC Press/Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton, FL.

INTERSTELLAR MOLECULES

Frank J. Lovas, Holger S. P. Müller, and Brett McGuire

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 table gives the molecules and the particular isotopic species that have been reported so far. All species not footnoted otherwise are observed in interstellar clouds, while some are also found in comets and circumstellar clouds. The table was last updated through November 2021 and lists 276 molecules (518 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.

Column definitions for the table are as follows.

Column heading Definition
Mol. form. Molecular formula of observed interstellar molecule; molecules are listed by molecular formula in Hill order*
Name Name of interstellar molecule
Isotopic species Specific isotopic species that have been observed so far; molecular formula for species are written in Hill order*; D refers to deuterium; l- before the isotopic species indicates a linear configuration, while c- indicates a cyclic molecule 

References

  1. F. J. Lovas, Recommended Rest Frequencies for Observed Interstellar Molecule Microwave Transitions - 2002 Revision, J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data 33, 177-355 (2004); and last update appearing at <www.nist.gov/pml/data/micro/index.cfm>. [https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1633275]
  2. Anita L. Cochran, Anny-Chantal Levasseur-Regourd, Martin Cordiner, Edith Hadamcik, Jérémie Lasue, Adeline Gicquel, David G. Schleicher, Steven B. Charnley, Michael J. Mumma, Lucas Paganini, Dominique Bockelée-Morvan, Nicolas Biver, and Yi-Jehng Kuan, The Composition of Comets, Space Science Reviews, pp. 1-38, First online: July 2015, <link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11214-015-0183-6>.
  3. Splatalogue, <www.splatalogue.net>.
  4. Cologne Database for Molecular Spectroscopy, <https://cdms.astro.uni-koeln.de/classic>.

  • *The molecular formula gives the number of atoms of each element present in the molecule, without regard to the way in which the atoms are bonded. The Hill order specifies that C (if present) comes first; H (if present) is second; and the other element symbols follow in alphabetical order.
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Interstellar Molecules Observed to Date (November 2021)



Mol. formNameIsotopic speciesSynonym
Continued on next page...
AlClAluminum monochlorideAl35Cla
AlClAluminum monochlorideAl37Cla
AlFAluminum monofluorideAlFa
AlFAluminum monofluoride26AlFa
AlHO Aluminum hydroxideAlOHa
AlOAluminum monoxideAlOa
ArH+Argonium36ArH+
ArH+Argonium38ArH+
CAlNAluminum isocyanideAlNCa
CCaNCalcium isocyanideCaNCa
CF+FluoromethyliumylideneCF+
CFeNIron cyanideFeCN
CHMethylidyneCH
CHMethylidyne13CH
CH+MethyliumylideneCH+
CH+Methyliumylidene13CH+
CD+Methyliumylidene-dCD+
CHMgNMagnesium hydride isocyanideHMgNCa
CHNHydrogen cyanideHCNHydrocyanic acid

  • _ Underscore in formula indicates a ring compound.
  • aReported only in circumstellar clouds.
  • bReported only in comets.
  • ccis isomer.
  • ttrans isomer.


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