Rovibrational Spectral Data for SiOH+ and HSiO+
Primary Faculty Mentor’s Name
Ryan C. Fortenberry
Proposal Track
Student
Session Format
Poster
Abstract
The ionosphere is an important layer in the Earth’s atmosphere that allows radio communication to distant locations due to electrically charged atoms and molecules that are constantly bombarded by ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Most importantly for our study, SiOH+ and its other isomeric partner, HSiO+, are likely among the molecular species responsible for radio proliferation. Studies have been made to provide the existence of these molecules in the gas phase by the use of neutralization-reionization mass spectrometry (NRMS). It has also been proposed that due to distribution of the ground state, Si+ reacts with H2O in the ionosphere to create SiOH+. Our computations of SIOH+ make use of quartic force fields and high-level coupled-cluster theory to derive the rovibrational spectroscopic constants for SiOH+ and HSiO+. These computations provide data in order to examine the possibility that these two cations may exist in the ionosphere or even in the larger interstellar medium (ISM), the region between stars. Astronomical observations and laboratory experiments of SiOH+ and HSiO+ may further advance our understanding of the ISM and ionosphere but only if reference data is available. This work serves to provide this data for comparison.
Keywords
Astrochemistry, Quantum chemistry, Rotational spectroscopy, Vibrational spectroscopy, Silicon chemistry, Stellar evolution
Award Consideration
1
Location
Concourse/Atrium
Presentation Year
2014
Start Date
11-15-2014 9:40 AM
End Date
11-15-2014 10:55 AM
Publication Type and Release Option
Presentation (Open Access)
Recommended Citation
Kitchens, Mason and Fortenberry, Ryan C., "Rovibrational Spectral Data for SiOH+ and HSiO+" (2014). Georgia Undergraduate Research Conference (2014-2015). 25.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gurc/2014/2014/25
Rovibrational Spectral Data for SiOH+ and HSiO+
Concourse/Atrium
The ionosphere is an important layer in the Earth’s atmosphere that allows radio communication to distant locations due to electrically charged atoms and molecules that are constantly bombarded by ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Most importantly for our study, SiOH+ and its other isomeric partner, HSiO+, are likely among the molecular species responsible for radio proliferation. Studies have been made to provide the existence of these molecules in the gas phase by the use of neutralization-reionization mass spectrometry (NRMS). It has also been proposed that due to distribution of the ground state, Si+ reacts with H2O in the ionosphere to create SiOH+. Our computations of SIOH+ make use of quartic force fields and high-level coupled-cluster theory to derive the rovibrational spectroscopic constants for SiOH+ and HSiO+. These computations provide data in order to examine the possibility that these two cations may exist in the ionosphere or even in the larger interstellar medium (ISM), the region between stars. Astronomical observations and laboratory experiments of SiOH+ and HSiO+ may further advance our understanding of the ISM and ionosphere but only if reference data is available. This work serves to provide this data for comparison.
