Discovery of a new molecular ion, HC7NH+, in TMC-1

TL;DR

This paper reports the detection of a new molecular ion, HC7NH+, in the TMC-1 cloud, using radio telescope observations and ab initio calculations, expanding understanding of molecular complexity in space.

Contribution

The discovery of HC7NH+ as the first protonated form of HC7N in space, supported by observational data and theoretical calculations, is a novel addition to astrochemical knowledge.

Findings

HC7NH+ detected via nine harmonic lines in TMC-1

Column density of HC7NH+ is (5.5±0.7)e10 cm^-2

Abundance ratio HC7N/HC7NH+ is 380

Abstract

We report the detection of the protonated form of HC7N in TMC-1. The discovery of the cation HC7NH+ was carried out via the observation of nine harmonically related lines in the Q-band using the Yebes 40m radiotelescope. The observed frequencies allowed us to obtain the rotational constants B_0=553.938802(160)MHz and D_0=3.6292(705) Hz. The identification of HC7NH+ is further supported by accurate ab initio calculations. We derived a column density of (5.5+/-0.7)e10 cm-2, which constitutes another piece of evidence for the identification of the carrier. In addition, we revised the HC7N column density and we derived a new value of (2.1+/-0.2)e13cm-2. Hence, the abundance ratio HC7N/HC7NH+ is 380, while those for HC3N/HC3NH+ and HC5N/HC5NH+ are 230 and 240, respectively. Here, we discuss these results within the framework of a chemical model for protonated molecules in cold dense clouds.