'International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy'
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 12C14N+ species, the three lowest rotational transitions have been observed
each of which exhibits hyperfine structure from the presence of the 14N nucleus.
The rare 12C15N+ isotopolog has been studied up to the
J=4−3 transition.
The observations conclusively confirm CN+ to occupy a 1Σ+ electronic ground state.
Given the ubiquity of the CN radical in space, CN+ is an appealing candidate for future radio astronomical searches