How abundant are complex interstellar molecules?

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics

Scientific paper

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Abundance, Chemical Composition, Interstellar Matter, Molecular Clouds, Astronomical Models, Hydrocarbons, Molecules, Nitrogen Atoms, Oxygen Atoms, Steady State

Scientific paper

In order to resolve discrepancies between the predictions of complex molecular abundances in the dense interstellar cloud chemical models of Herbst and Leung (1986) and of Millar and Nejad (1985), a number of calculations have been performed by augmenting the smaller Millar and Nejad model with reactions thought to be critical in determining the abundances of complex species, but not yet studied in the laboratory. The augmented model of Millar and Nejad is found to be in excellent agreement with the model of Herbst and Leung. Abundances of complex molecules have been found to depend most critically on the choice of reactions involving oxygen atoms and secondarily on the choice of product channels and branching ratios in the dissociative recombination of complex ions. The efficiency of carbon chain growth in dense clouds is discussed and it is found that it is efficient at early times but at steady state only if O atoms do not react with bare carbon chain molecules. Finally, some laboratory studies which would remove much of the current uncertainty in gas phase predictions of molecular abundances in dense interstellar clouds are suggested.

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