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Updated: Jul 2, 2026

Photoelectron Imaging of Anions Illustrated by 310 Nm Detachment of F−
Published on: July 27, 2018
High-resolution rotational spectroscopy of the carbon chain anions C3N-, C4H-, and C4D(-)
1Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA. mccarthy@cfa.harvard.edu
Abstract:
The rotational spectra of C(3)N(-), C(4)H(-), and C(4)D(-) have been measured at high-spectral resolution by Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy. For both C(3)N(-) and C(4)D(-), hyperfine structure in the lowest-J transitions has been resolved and measured to better than 0.1 ppm. The quadrupole coupling constants eQq for both anions are close to those of the neutral counterparts C(3)N and C(4)D, and that of C(3)N(-) is in good agreement with theoretical calculations. Several properties of these anions, including their linewidths, drift velocities, and abundances, are systematically compared to similar-sized neutral molecules. The production of C(4)H(-) with different hydrocarbon precursor and buffer gases is also discussed.
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