Isotopic Abundances and Line Formation in the Orion Nebula
Abstract
Measurements of the spatial variation of H12C14N and H13C14N line emission from the molecular cloud associated with the Orion Nebula indicate that H12C14N has a high central opacity. This result seems to contradict a recent suggestion that the observed hyperfine structure of the line indicates a low opacity, which in turn would yield a 13C/12C abundance significantly different from other determinations. The observed hyperfine structure can be understood in the high-opacity case if one considers radiative trapping in the lines. Subject headings: abundances - molecules, interstellar
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- June 1974
- DOI:
- 10.1086/181510
- Bibcode:
- 1974ApJ...190L..77W