Interstellar C2 molecules toward Omicron Persei

Abstract

Seven weak interstellar absorption lines of the (2-0) Phillips band of C2 near the wavelength 8760 are detected in the spectrum of Omicron Persei. All of the lines have equivalent widths less than 2 mA and originate from the five lowest rotational levels of C2. The resulting total column density is N(C2) = 1.5 x 10 to the 13th/sq cm, and the excitation temperature is T = 116 plus or minus 16 K.