J. Cernicharo, B. Lefloch, M. Agúndez, S. Bailleux, L. Margulès, E. Roueff, R. Bachiller, N. Marcelino, B. Tercero, C. Vastel, and E. Caux
reported on the
Discovery of the Ubiquitous Cation NS⁺ in Space Confirmed by Laboratory Spectroscopy
Astrophys. J. 853, Art. No. L22 (2018).
The J = 2 – 1, 3 – 2, and 5 – 4 transitions of the closed shell thionitrosylium molecule near 100.2, 150.3, and 250.5 GHz were observed in emission with the IRAM 30 m telecope in the course of a molecular line survey of the dark cloud-type source B1b. The J = 2 – 1 transition was also observed in numerous other sources ranging from dark clouds, such as TMC-1 and L483, to low-mass protostars, such as NGC 1333 IRAS4A. It was not detected in the Orion KL hot core or compact ridge positions nor in the Sgr B2(M) or (N) hot cores. It was, however, detected in the envelope of Sgr B2. The cation is very abundant relative to the neutral (a NS/NS⁺ ratio in the range of 30 to 50 was determined wherever possible) compared to other diatomics.

Contributor(s): H. S. P. Müller 02, 2018