On the Detection of Silicon Phosphide, SiP, in Circumstellar Environments

L. A. Koelemay, M. A. Burton, A. P. Singh, P. M. Sheridan, J. J. Bernal, and L. M. Ziurys
described the
Laboratory and Astronomical Detection of the SiP Radical (X<sup>2</sup>Π<sub>i</sub>): More Circumstellar Phosphorus
Astrophys. J. Lett. 940, Art. No. L11 (2022).
Dedicated observations of CW Leonis with the ARO 12 m dish at Kitt Peak as well as observations (dedicated and from a line survey) with the ARO SMT in the regions of the 2Π3/2, J“ = 7.5, 12.5, 15.5, and 16.5 transitions of SiP. Only the J” = 12.5 and 15.5 transitions near 215.05 and 262.81 GHz appear to be unblended. While this is fine for a tentative detection, it is too little for us to qualify for a definitive detection. The authors derive peak abundances only slightly lower than CP and even slightly higher than PN, but somewhat closer to the star.


Contributor(s): H. S. P. Müller; 12, 2022