THz extended spectrum of the monodeuterated methyl formate (DCOOCH3)

Abstract

Context. Laboratory spectral recordings and an accurate molecular spectral analysis of any potential interstellar molecule are essential for generating a complete spectroscopic line list. This permits predicting the frequencies and intensities of any transition so that subsequently, it can be identified in the interstellar medium. Aims. Our analysis of DCOOCH3 aims to provide a comprehensive spectral catalog that encompasses as much as possible the frequency coverage of the new-generation far-IR and submillimeter wave observation facilities. Methods. We newly measured the rotational spectrum of DCOOCH3 in the laboratory of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the frequency range of 0.85 to 1.5 THz. We jointly analyzed the new data with literature data using the rho axis method, which is a tool developed for the spectral analysis of molecules with large-amplitude internal CH3 rotors. Results. We fit 27 spectroscopic constants of DCOOCH3 to 3763 transitions with highest values of J = 69 and Ka = 36 of the ground torsional state with a standard (unitless) deviation of 0.97. With respect to previous work, this is a significantly better result that was obtained with 2060 more transitions, and we also achieved a better accuracy for the new parameter values.This research was supported by the FIS2011-28738-C02-02 project (MINECO, Spain), the French PCMI (Programme National de Physique Chimie du Milieu Interstellaire), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11174098). M.C. acknowledges the research stay at the Universite Paris Diderot under the Guest Faculty programme in May 2014. Portions of this paper present research carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Government sponsorship is acknowledged