On the Detection of Main Metal Chalcogenides in Space

M. Rey-Montejo, I. Jiménez-Serra, J. Martín-Pintado, V. M. Rivilla, A. Megías, D. San Andrés, M. Sanz-Novo, L. Colzi, S. Zeng, Á. López-Gallifa, A. Martínez-Henares, S. Martín, B. Tercero, P. de Vicente6, and M. Requena-Torres
announced the
Discovery of MgS and NaS in the Interstellar Medium and Tentative Detection of CaO
Astrophys. J. 975, Art. No. 174 (2024).
The search for metal-containing molecules was carried out in two molecular line surveys of the Galactic Center molecular cloud G+0.693–0.027 employing the Yebes 40 m and IRAM 30 m radio telecopes. Three of 12 covered transitions of MgS with 9 ≤ J ≤ 15 are essentially unblended, but more or less parts of more extended emission features. The J = 2 − 1 transition near 32.03 GHz is somewhat blended. Five of 9 transitions of NaS with 4.5 ≤ J ≤ 11.5 are not blended with features of known species, but except maybe one part of more extended emission features. These two molecules were deemed to be detected. Only two transition of CaO were not blended with lines by known species, but were in both cases parts of more extended emission features. This molecule was deemed to be tentatively detected.

Please note that the detection of AlO is documented separately.


Contributor(s): H. S. P. Müller; 11, 2024