Work

Calcium-bearing cyanopolyynes in IRC+10216

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT In recent years, a number of metal-containing, carbon-chain species have been detected in the external circumstellar envelope of the carbon-rich asymptotic giant branch star IRC+10216. The most common metal detected in such species is Mg, for which molecules as large as MgC$_5$N, MgC$_5$N$^+$, MgC$_6$H, and MgC$_6$H$^+$ have been observed. In this paper, we calculate the likely abundances of the Ca-bearing cyanopolyynes, CaC$_{2n+1}$N for n = 1–4, drawing the conclusion that the observed abundance of CaNC must be made from much larger Ca-terminated cyanopolyyne ions, which requires considerable rearrangement in their dissociative recombination. We pay particular attention to the detectability of CaC$_3$N whose rotational spectrum has recently been measured.

Source: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stag1002

Author: T J Millar

Institution: Queen's University Belfast

Language: English

Topic: Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies

Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,046

Funders: Queen's University Belfast, Chalmers Tekniska Högskola, Queen's University, Science and Technology Facilities Council