Detection of a noble gas molecular ion, 36ArH+, in the Crab Nebula

Barlow, M. J., Swinyard, B. M., Owen, P. J., Cernicharo, J., Gomez, Haley Louise ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3398-0052, Ivison, R. J., Krause, O., Lim, T. L., Matsuura, Mikako ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5529-5593, Miller, S., Olofsson, G. and Polehampton, E. T. 2013. Detection of a noble gas molecular ion, 36ArH+, in the Crab Nebula. Science 342 (6164) , pp. 1343-1345. 10.1126/science.1243582

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Abstract

Noble gas molecules have not hitherto been detected in space. From spectra obtained with the Herschel Space Observatory, we report the detection of emission in the 617.5- and 1234.6-gigahertz J = 1-0 and 2-1 rotational lines of 36ArH+ at several positions in the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant known to contain both molecular hydrogen and regions of enhanced ionized argon emission. Argon-36 is believed to have originated from explosive nucleosynthesis in massive stars during core-collapse supernova events. Its detection in the Crab Nebula, the product of such a supernova event, confirms this expectation. The likely excitation mechanism for the observed 36ArH+ emission lines is electron collisions in partially ionized regions with electron densities of a few hundred per centimeter cubed.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Physics and Astronomy
Subjects:	Q Science > QB Astronomy Q Science > QC Physics
Publisher:	American Association for the Advancement of Science
ISSN:	0036-8075
Last Modified:	17 Nov 2024 03:30
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/53925

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