Laboratory rotational ground state transitions of NH$_3$D$^+$ and CF$^+$

TL;DR

This study provides precise laboratory measurements of rotational transitions for NH3D+ and CF+, supporting astronomical detections and confirming hyperfine structures, thus aiding molecular identification in space.

Contribution

The paper reports highly accurate laboratory frequencies for NH3D+ and CF+ rotational transitions, validating astronomical observations and hyperfine splitting calculations.

Findings

Laboratory frequencies match astronomical observations.

High-precision measurements support NH3D+ identification in space.

Hyperfine splitting confirms quantum-chemical predictions.

Abstract

Aims. This paper reports accurate laboratory frequencies of the rotational ground state transitions of two astronomically relevant molecular ions, NH3D+ and CF+. Methods. Spectra in the millimeter-wave band were recorded by the method of rotational state-selective attachment of He-atoms to the molecular ions stored and cooled in a cryogenic ion trap held at 4 K. The lowest rotational transition in the A state (ortho state) of NH$_3$D$^+$ ($J_K = 1_0 - 0_0$), and the two hyperfine components of the ground state transition of CF$^+$($J = 1 - 0$) were measured with a relative precision better than $10^{-7}$. Results. For both target ions the experimental transition frequencies agree with recent observations of the same lines in different astronomical environments. In the case of NH$_3$D$^+$ the high-accuracy laboratory measurements lend support to its tentative identification in the interstellar medium. For CF$^+$ the experimentally determined hyperfine splitting confirms previous quantum-chemical calculations and the intrinsic spectroscopic nature of a double-peaked line profile observed in the $J = 1 - 0$ transition towards the Horsehead PDR.