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Recent Observations of Organic Molecules in Nearby Cold, Dark Interstellar Clouds

  • Conference paper
The Search for Extraterrestrial Life: Recent Developments

Part of the book series: International Astronomical Union ((IAUS,volume 112))

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Abstract

We report recent investigations of the organic chemistry of relatively nearby cold, dark interstellar clouds. Specifically, we confirm the presence of interstellar tricarbon monoxide (C3O) in Taurus Molecular Cloud 1 (TMC-1); report the first detection in such regions of acetaldehyde (CH3CHO), the most complex oxygen-containing organic molecule yet found in dark clouds; report the first astronomical detection of several molecular rotational transitions, including the J=18-17 and 14-13 transitions of cyanodiacetylene (HC5N), the 101-000 transition of acetaldehyde, and the J=5-4 transition of C3O; and set a significant upper limit on the abundance of cyanocarbene (HCCN) as a result of the first reported interstellar search for this molecule.

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nobeyama Radio Observatory, Nobeyama, Minamisaku, Nagano, 38413, Japan

    H. Suzuki, M. Ohishi, H. Morimoto & N. Kaifu

  2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA

    P. Friberg & W. M. Irvine

  3. Herzberg Institute for Astrophysics, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0R6, Canada

    H. E. Matthews

  4. Institute for Molecular Science, Okazaki, 444, Japan

    S. Saito

Authors
  1. H. Suzuki
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  2. M. Ohishi
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  3. H. Morimoto
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  4. N. Kaifu
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  5. P. Friberg
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  6. W. M. Irvine
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  7. H. E. Matthews
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  8. S. Saito
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Astronomy, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, USA

    Michael D. Papagiannis

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© 1985 International Astronomical Union

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Suzuki, H. et al. (1985). Recent Observations of Organic Molecules in Nearby Cold, Dark Interstellar Clouds. In: Papagiannis, M.D. (eds) The Search for Extraterrestrial Life: Recent Developments. International Astronomical Union, vol 112. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_20

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5462-5_20

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-277-2114-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-5462-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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