Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Review Article
  • Published:

Interstellar molecules

Nature volume 268, pages 491–495 (1977)Cite this article

Abstract

Recently discovered interstellar molecules are a powerful new tool in the arsenal of the astrophysicist. Operating in a completely non-terrestrial environment, interstellar chemistry produces both everyday molecules likely to be found around the house and exotic species never before observed on the Earth. Interpretation of the molecular spectra requires an interdisciplinary approach.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Woods, R. C., Dixon, T. A., Saykally, R. J. & Szanto, P. G. Phys. Rev. Lett. 35, 1269 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Saykally, R. J., Dixon, T. A., Anderson, T. G., Szanto, P. G. & Woods, R. C. Astrophys. J. 205, L101 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Saykally, R. J., Szanto, P. G., Anderson, P. G. & Woods, R. C. Astrophys. J. 204, L143 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Creswell, R. A., Pearson, E. F., Winnewisser, M. & Winnewisser, G. Nagurforsch 31 a, 221 (1976).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Blackman, G. L., Brown, R. D., Godfrey, P. D. & Gunn, H. I. Nature 261, 395 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Herbst, E. & Klemperer, W. Astrophys. J. 185, 505 (1973).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Watson, W. D. Astrophys. J. 188, 35 (1974).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Green, S. & Thaddeus, P. Astrophys. J. 191, 653 (1974).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Green, S. Astrophys. J. 201, 366 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Green, S. & Thaddeus, P. Astrophys. J. 205, 766 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Audouze, J., Lequeux, J. & Vigroux, L. Astr. Astrophys. 43, 71 (1975).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Wilson, T. L., Bieging, J., Downes, D. & Gardner, F. F. Astr. Astrophys. 51, 303 (1976).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Wannier, P. G., Penzias, A. A., Linke, R. A. & Wilson, R. W. Astrophys. J. 204, 26 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Hollis, J. M., Snyder, L. E., Lovas, F. J. & Buhl, D. Astrophys. J. 209, L83 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Linke, R. A., Goldsmith, P. F., Wannier, P. G., Wilson, R. W. & Penzias, A. A. Astrophys. J. 214, 50 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Wilson, R. W., Penzias, A. A., Wannier, P. G. & Linke, R. A. Astrophys. J. 204, L135 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Watson, W. D. in CNO Isotopes in Astrophysics (eds by Audouze, J. & Schramm D. (Reidel, Dordrecht, in the press).

  18. Spitzer, L., Drake, J. F., Jenkins, E. B., Morton, D. C., Rogerson, J. B. & York, D. G. Astrophys. J. 181, L116 (1973).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Penzias, A. A., Wannier, P. G., Wilson, R. W. & Linke, R. A. Astrophys. J. 211, 108 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Zuckerman, B. & Palmer, P. Ann. Rev. Astr. Astrophys. 12, 279 (1974).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  21. Blauuw, A. Ann. Rev. Astr. Astrophys. 2, 213 (1964).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. Elmergreen, B. G. & Lada, C. J. Astrophys. J. 214, 725 (1977).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  23. Kutner, M. L., Evans, N. J. & Tucker, K. D. Astrophys. J. 209, 452 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Liszt, H. S., Wilson, R. W., Penzias, A. A., Jefferts, K. B., Wannier, P. G. & Solomon, P. M. Astrophys. J. 190, 557 (1974).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Goldreich, P. & Kwan, J. Astrophys. J. 189, 441 (1974).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Zuckerman, B. & Evans, N. J. Astrophys. J. 192, 441 (1974).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Milman, A. S. Astrophys. J. 202, 673 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Snell, R. L. & Loren, R. B. Astrophys. J. 211, 122 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Zuckerman, B. in Topics in Interstellar Matter (edit. by Van Woerden), (Reidel, Dordrecht, in the press).

  30. Barrett, A. H., Ho, P. T. P. & Myers, P. C. Astrophys. J. 211, L39 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Morris, M., Snell, R. L. & Van den Bout, P. Astrophys. J. (in the press).

  32. Walker, R. G. & Price, S. D. AFCRL-TR-75-0373 (1975).

  33. Low, F. J., Kurtz, R. F., Vrba, F. J. & Ricke, G. H. Astrophys. J. 206, L153 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Lebofsky, M. J., Kleinmann, S. G., Ricke, G. H. & Low, F. J. Astrophys. J. 206, L157 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Gehrz, R. D. & Hackwell, J. A. Astrophys. J. 206, L161 (1976).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  36. Ney, E. P., Merrill, K. M., Becklin, E. E., Neugebauer, G. & Wynn-Williams, C. G. Astrophys. J. 198, L129 (1975).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  37. Westbrook, W. E., Becklin, E. E., Merrill, K. M., Neugebauer, G., Schmidt, M., Willner, S. P. & Wynn-Williams, C. G. Astrophys. J. 202, 407 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Merrill, K. M. & Stein, W. A. Publ. Astron. Soc. Pacific 88, 874 (1976).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  39. Zuckerman, B., Gilra, D. P., Turner, B. E., Morris, M. & Palmer, P. Astrophys. J. 205, L15 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Lo, K. Y. & Bechis, K. Astrophys. J. 205, L21 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Zuckerman, B., Palmer, P., Morris, M., Turner, B. E., Gilra, D. P., Bowers, P. R. & Gilmore, W. Astrophys. J. 211, L97 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Wilson, W. J. & Barrett, A. H. Science, 161, 778 (1968).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Schwartz, P. R., Harvey, P. M. & Barrett, A. H. Astrophys. J. 187, 491 (1974).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Kaifu, N., Buhl, D. & Snyder, L. E. Astrophys. J. 195, 359 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Goldreich, P. & Scoville, N. Astrophys. J. 205, 144 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Bowers, P. F. & Kerr, F. J. Astr. Astrophys. 57, 115 (1977).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Burton, W. B., Gordon, M. A., Bania, T. M. & Lockman, F. J. Astrophys. J. 202, 30 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Scoville, N. Z. & Solomon, P. M. Astrophys. J. 199, L105 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Gordon, M. A. & Burton, W. B. Astrophys. J. 208, 346 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Lockman, F. J. Astrophys. J. 209, 429 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Kodaira, K. Publ. Astron. Soc. Japan 26, 255 (1974).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Fichtel, C. E. et al. Astrophys. J. 198, 163 (1975).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  53. Stecker, F. W., Solomon, P. M., Scoville, N. Z. & Ryter, C. E. Astrophys. J. 201, 90 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  54. Stecker, F. W. Phys. Rev. Lett. 35, 188 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  55. Rickard, L. J., Palmer, P., Morris, M., Zuckerman, B. & Turner, B. E. Astrophys. J. 199, L75 (1975). Astrophys. J. 213, 673 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  56. Huggins, P. J., Gillespie, A. R., Phillips, T. G., Gardner, F. & Knowles, S. Mon. Not. R. astr. Soc. 173, 69P (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  57. Phillips, T. G., Huggins, P. J., Neugebauer, G. & Werner, M. W. Bull. Amer. astr. Soc. 8, 565 (1976).

    Google Scholar 

  58. Waters, J. W., Gustincic, J. J., Kakar, R. K., Kuiper, T. B. H., Swanson, P. M., Kerr, A. R. & Thaddeus, P. Bull. Am. astr. Soc. 8, 564 (1976).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  59. Gautier, T. N., Fink, U., Treffers, R. R. & Larson, H. P. Astrophys. J. 207, L129 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, 20742

    B. Zuckerman

Authors
  1. B. Zuckerman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zuckerman, B. Interstellar molecules. Nature 268, 491–495 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1038/268491a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/268491a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing