Electron densities and the excitation of CN in molecular clouds

Details Electron densities and the excitation of CN in molecular clouds Electron densities and the excitation of CN in molecular clouds

Mar 1991

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1991apj...369l...9b&link_type=abstract

Astrophysical Journal, Part 2 - Letters (ISSN 0004-637X), vol. 369, March 1, 1991, p. L9-L12. Research supported by NFR and NORD

Other

63

Cyanogen, Electron Density (Concentration), Interstellar Matter, Molecular Clouds, Molecular Excitation, Electron Impact, Line Spectra, Milky Way Galaxy, Millimeter Waves

Scientific paper

In molecular clouds of modest density and relatively high fractional ionization, the rotational excitation of CN is controlled by a competition among electron impact, neutral impact and the interaction with the cosmic background radiation. The degree of excitation can be measured through optical absorption lines and millimeter-wave emission lines. The available, accurate data on CN in diffuse and translucent molecular clouds are assembled and used to determine electron densities. The derived values, n(e) = roughly 0.02 - 0.5/cu cm, imply modest neutral densities, which generally agree well with determinations by other techniques. The absorption- and emission-line measurements of CN both exclude densities higher than n(H2) = roughly 10 exp 3.5/cu cm on scales varying from 0.001 to 60 arcsec in these clouds.

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