CARMA 1 cm spectral line survey of Orion-KL

One spectral window where the region had never been surveyed is around wavelengths of {lambda}=1 cm. This is an important window to observe, due to the fundamental and low energy transitions of numerous complex molecules that indicate the maximum spatial extent of the molecular species; knowing the spatial distribution of a molecule aids in determining the formation mechanism(s) of that molecule.

Additionally, there are fewer transitions in this window, reducing confusion caused by blended lines that can be very problematic at shorter wavelengths ({lambda}<3 mm). In this work, we present the first spectral line survey at {lambda}=1 cm of the Orion-KL region. A total of 89 transitions were detected from 14 molecular species and isotopologues, and two atomic species.