Search for an interstellar
Si2C molecule:
A theoretical prediction
SURESH CHANDRA
School of Physical Sciences, SRTM University,
Nanded 431 606, India
Visiting Associate, Inter-University Centre
for Astronomy and Astrophysics,
Pune 411 007, India
E-mail: sch@iucaa.ernet.in
Abstract. We suggest that Si$_2$C molecule may be
identified in astronomical objects
through its transitions $4_{1 4} \rightarrow 5_{0 5}$, $5_{1 5} \rightarrow
6_{0 6}$, $2_{1 2} \rightarrow 3_{0 3}$, $3_{1 3} \rightarrow 4_{0 4}$, and
$1_{1 1} \rightarrow 2_{0 2}$ at 15.9, 5.1, 33.6, 24.9,
and 42.3 GHz in
absorption even against the cosmic 2.7 K background, in a
region having low
temperature. The absorption phenomenon is found rather
large in the first two
transitions. Dependence of results on the set of molecular
parameters is
discussed.
Keywords. Interstellar molecules; Si2C.