PURE ROTATIONAL SPECTRUM OF CN+

Abstract

The pure rotational spectrum of the elusive CN

^+

cation has been observed for the first time using the cryogenic ion trap apparatus Coltrap by applying an action spectroscopy scheme. For the

^{12}

C

^{14}

N

^+

species, the three lowest rotational transitions have been observed each of which exhibits hyperfine structure from the presence of the

^{14}

N nucleus. The rare

^{12}

C

^{15}

N

^+

isotopolog has been studied up to the

J=4-3

transition. The observations conclusively confirm CN

^+

to occupy a

^1\Sigma^+

electronic ground state. Given the ubiquity of the CN radical in space, CN

^+

is an appealing candidate for future radio astronomical searches

Last time updated on 05/04/2020

Last time updated on 10/08/2019