The photodissociation and chemistry of interstellar CO

TLDR

The study applies recent vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopic data to model the photodissociation of interstellar CO and its main isotopologues (13CO, C18O, 13C18O). The authors incorporated a new CO photodissociation treatment into detailed interstellar cloud models and computed CO, C, and C+ abundances across diffuse to dense photodissociation regions. They found the unattenuated CO photodissociation rate to be 2 × 10⁻¹⁰ s⁻¹, over ten times higher than previous estimates, and the model predictions agree with observed CO and C abundances. Published in The Astrophysical Journal, 1988 (DOI 10.1086/166877).

Abstract

view Abstract Citations (1045) References (118) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS The Photodissociation and Chemistry of Interstellar CO van Dishoeck, Ewine F. ; Black, John H. Abstract Recent work on the vacuum ultraviolet absorption spectrum of CO by Letzelter et al. and Yoshino et al. has clarified the nature of its photodissociation processes. The application of these spectroscopic data to the description of the photodissociation of interstellar CO and its principal isotopic varieties 13CO, C18O, and 13C18O is discussed. The unattenuated photodissociation rate of interstellar CO is ≡2 × 10-10s-1, more than an order of magnitude larger than the value used in previous models. The new treatment of the CO photodissociation has been incorporated into detailed models of the structure and chemistry of interstellar clouds. Computed abundances of CO and related species C and C+ are presented for a variety of interstellar clouds ranging from diffuse clouds to dense photodissociation regions. The model results are compared with a variety of observational data on both the CO and C abundances in such clouds. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: November 1988 DOI: 10.1086/166877 Bibcode: 1988ApJ...334..771V Keywords: Carbon Monoxide; Interstellar Chemistry; Interstellar Gas; Photodissociation; Hydrogen; Isotope Effect; Radiation Distribution; Ultraviolet Absorption; Astrophysics; INTERSTELLAR: MATTER; INTERSTELLAR: MOLECULES; MOLECULAR PROCESSES full text sources ADS | data products SIMBAD (9) Related Materials (1) Erratum: 1990ApJ...360..313V