Detection of nitric oxide in the dark cloud L134N

We report the first detection of interstellar nitric oxide (NO) in a cold dark cloud, L134N. Nitric oxide was observed by means of its two 2 pi 1/2, J = 3/2 --> 1/2, rotational transitions at 150.2 and 150.5 GHz, which occur because of lambda-doubling. The inferred column density for L134N is N(NO) approximately 5 x 10(14) cm-2 toward the SO peak in that cloud. This value corresponds to a fractional abundance relative to molecular hydrogen of f(NO) approximately 6 x 10(-8) and is in good agreement with predictions of quiescent cloud ion-molecule chemistry. NO was not detected toward the dark cloud TMC-1 at an upper limit of f(NO) < or = 3 x 10(-8).