Masatoshi Ohishi

Infrared diode laser spectroscopy of the PS radical

Abstract The fundamental band of the PS radical in the X 2 Π, state has been observed by using a diode laser spectrometer with Zeeman and discharge modulation. The radical was produced by a discharge in a PSCl 3 and He mixture. From the analysis of the observed spectrum, the band origin and the equilibrium internuclear distance were determined to be ν 0 = 733.5583(5) cm −1 and r e = 1.897 7405(45) A , respectively, with three standard deviations in parentheses.

A sensitive line search in circumstellar envelopes

Recherche des raies moleculaires dans le domaine 85-89 GHz pour un echantillon de 11 etoiles a enveloppe. Ont ete observees des emissions de 29 SiO, 28 SiO, HCN, H 13 CN, HC 5 N, HCO + , C 2 H, C 4 H et C 3 N. Dans plusieurs etoiles, a ete detectee la transition maser 29 SiO J=2-1. En outre une emission HCN a ete observee dans letoile riche en oxygene, VY CMa dont le profil presente une legere asymetrie par rapport au centre de la raie qui est interpretee en termes dune activite de lenveloppe circumstellaire

A Search for Millimeter Wave Spectral Lines from Comet Sugano-Saigusa-Fujikawa (1983e)

Abstract The search for radio spectral lines from Comet Sugano-Saigusa-Fujikawa (1983e) was conducted using the 45-m telescope of Nobeyama Radio Observatory. The frequency ranges of 44.0–46.0 and 47.5–49.5 GHz were surveyed down to ΔT A ∗ ( rms ) = 20–30 mK , with a beam size of ∼35 arc sec. Upper limits have been established for spectral lines of atomic hydrogen, CS, OCS, SO2, H2CO, CH3OH, HCCCCCN, HCOOCH3, CH3OCH3, and CH3CH2CN. The J = 5−4 line from HCCCN in the vibrational ground state possibly has been detected but not confirmed. The suggested total amount of HCCCN in the coma is consistent with the possible picture that HCCCN is the main parent molecule of CN.

Report from Astronomy IAU commission

The International Astronomical Unions Commission 51 was established in 1982 as ``Bioastronomy: Search for Extraterrestrial Life. As the interests of Commission members expanded to include all aspects of the study of the origin, evolution, and distribution of life in the universe, C51 was renamed simply ``Bioastronomy in 2006. Thus, the term ``bioastronomy became for the Commission essentially synonymous with the NASA-coined term ``astrobiology``. Since the latter term has been adopted by many scientific societies around the world with similar interests, under the new Division and Commission structure of the IAU the Commission has been again renamed and is now Commission F-3 ``Astrobiology.