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The Cosmic Ice Laboratory
Cosmic Ice Laboratory

Image of C/2002 C1 (Ikeya-Zhang) by Michael Jager taken March 11.77, 2002 UT. Copyright ©2002 Michael Jager

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Cometary Molecules PDF Version MS-Word Version

Molecules with 2 atoms
CN
cyanide radical		 CS
carbon monosulfide		 CO
carbon monoxide		 C2
diatomic carbon
CH
methylidyne		 NH
imidyl radical		 OH
hydroxyl radical		 S2
diatomic sulfur
SH ?
mercapto radical		 SO
sulfur monoxide		 NS
nitrogen sulfide		 NO ?
nitrous oxide
N2+ CO+ CH+ OH+
  CN+ H2  

Molecules with 3 atoms
H2O
water		 HDO
monodeuterated water		 H2O18
oxygen-18 water
CO2
carbon dioxide		 C3
triatomic carbon		 H2S
hydrogen sulfide
NH2
amidogen radical		 SO2
sulfur dioxide		 HCN
hydrogen cyanide
HNC
hydrogen isocyanide		 HCO
formyl radical		 OCS
carbonyl sulfide
H2O+ HCO+ CO2+
H2S+ CS2
carbon disulfide		 CN2 ?

Molecules with 4 atoms
C2H2
acetylene		 H2CO
formaldehyde		 H2CS
thioformaldehyde		 NH3
ammonia		 HNCO
isocyanic acid

Molecules with 5 atoms
HCOOH
formic acid		 HCC-CN
cyanoacetylene		 CH4
methane
Molecules with 6 atoms
CH3OH
methyl alcohol		 CH3CN
methyl cyanide		 HC(O)NH2
formamide

Molecules with 7 atoms
HC(O)CH3
acetaldehyde
Molecules with 8 atoms
C2H6
ethane		 HC(O)OCH3
methyl formate

Molecules with 10 atoms
(OH)CH2CH2(OH)
ethylene glycol
Other Species
silicates uncharacterized
hydrocarbons

This page is maintained by Reggie Hudson.