Description |
Among the molecular species typically observed in the interstellar and circumstellar medium, light hydrides have been traditionally elusive to detection since their rotational spectrum lies in the submillimeter and infra-red ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum, which is very difficult to observe from ground due to severe atmospheric absorption. This project aims at utilizing the remarkable capabilities of the HIFI instrument on board the Herschel Space Observatory to perform a sensitive search for several light hydrides toward the circumstellar envelope of the carbon-rich evolved star IRC +10216, which is one of the richest molecular sources in the sky, with more than 70 molecules observed to date. |