Search for anions in molecular sources: C4H- detection in L1527

TL;DR

This study reports the detection of the anion C4H- in the low mass star-forming region L1527, compares its abundance with other sources, and discusses implications for astrochemical models.

Contribution

First detection of C4H- in L1527, providing new data on interstellar anion abundances and their ratios to neutral molecules.

Findings

C4H- detected in L1527 with a ratio of 0.011%.

Upper limits established for C6H- and other anions.

Comparison with chemical models suggests insights into interstellar chemistry.

Abstract

We present the results of a search for the negative ion C4H- in various dark clouds, low mass star-forming regions and photon-dominated regions (PDRs). We have also searched for C6H-, C2H- and CN- in some of the sources. The millimeter-wave observations were carried out with the IRAM-30m telescope. We detect C4H-, through the J = 9-8 and J = 10-9 rotational transitions, in the low mass star-forming region L1527. We thus confirm the tentative detection of the J = 9-8 line recently reported toward this source. The [C4H-]/[C4H] ratio found is 0.011 %, which is slightly lower than the value observed in IRC +10216, 0.024 %, but above the 3 sigma upper limit we derive in TMC-1, < 0.0052 %. We have also derived an upper limit for the [C6H-]/[C6H] ratio in the Horsehead Nebula, and for various anion-to-neutral ratios in the observed sources. These results are compared with recent chemical models.