Laboratory Characterization and Astrophysical Detection of Vibrationally Excited States of Ethyl Cyanide

Ethyl cyanide, CH 3 CH 2 CN, is an important interstellar molecule with a very dense rotational-vibrational spectrum.On the basis of new laboratory data in the range of 17-605 GHz and ab initio calculations, two new vibrational states, ν 12 and ν 20 , have been detected in molecular clouds of Orion.Laboratory data consist of Stark spectroscopy (17-110 GHz) and frequency-modulated spectrometers .More than 700 distinct lines of each species were measured in J up to 71 and in K a up to 25.The states were fitted with Watson's S-reduction Hamiltonian.The two new states have been identified in the interstellar medium toward the Orion Nebula (Orion KL).The ground state, the isotopologues of CH 3 CH 2 CN, and the vibrationally excited states have been fitted to obtain column densities and to derive vibrational temperatures.All together, ethyl cyanide is responsible for more than 2000 lines in the observed frequency range of 80-280 GHz.