| 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. |
