Kin Long Kelvin Lee

Intel · Super Compute Group

We report the detection of the lowest-energy conformer of E -1-cyano-1,3-butadiene ( E -1- C 4 H 5 CN ), a linear isomer of pyridine, using the fourth data reduction of the GBT Observations of TMC-1: Hunting for Aromatic Molecules (GOTHAM) deep spectral survey toward TMC-1 with the 100 m Green Bank Telescope. We perform velocity stacking and matche...

Machine learning techniques have been previously used to model and predict column densities in the TMC-1 dark molecular cloud. In interstellar sources further along the path of star formation, such as those where a protostar itself has been formed, the chemistry is known to be drastically different from that of largely quiescent dark clouds. To tha...

We report the detection of the lowest energy conformer of $E$-1-cyano-1,3-butadiene ($E$-1-C$_4$H$_5$CN), a linear isomer of pyridine, using the fourth data reduction of the GOTHAM deep spectral survey toward TMC-1 with the 100 m Green Bank Telescope. We performed velocity stacking and matched filter analyses using Markov chain Monte Carlo simulati...

Using data from the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) Observations of TMC-1: Hunting for Aromatic Molecules (GOTHAM) survey, we report the first astronomical detection of the C 10 H ⁻ anion. The astronomical observations also provided the necessary data to refine the spectroscopic parameters of C 10 H ⁻ . From the velocity stacked data and the matched fil...

We report the study of three structural isomers of phenylpropiolonitrile (3-phenyl-2-propynenitrile, C6H5-C3N) containing an alkyne function and a cyano group, namely ortho-, meta-, and para-cyanoethynylbenzene (HCC-C6H4-CN). The pure rotational spectra of these species have been recorded at room temperature in the millimeter-wave domain using a ch...

Using data from the GOTHAM (GBT Observations of TMC-1: Hunting for Aromatic Molecules) survey, we report the first astronomical detection of the C10H- anion. The astronomical observations also provided the necessary data to refine the spectroscopic parameters of C10H-. From the velocity stacked data and the matched filter response, C10H- is detecte...

We present laboratory rotational spectroscopy of five isomers of cyanoindene (2-, 4-, 5-, 6-, and 7-cyanoindene) using a cavity Fourier transform microwave spectrometer operating between 6 and 40 GHz. Based on these measurements, we report the detection of 2-cyanoindene (1H-indene-2-carbonitrile; 2- C 9 H 7 CN ) in GOTHAM line survey observations o...

We present laboratory rotational spectroscopy of five isomers of cyanoindene (2-, 4-, 5-, 6-, and 7-cyanoindene) using a cavity Fourier-transform microwave spectrometer operating between 6-40 GHz. Based on these measurements, we report the detection of 2-cyanoindene (1H-indene-2-carbonitrile; 2-C$_9$H$_7$CN) in GOTHAM line survey observations of th...

Second-order photon correlation measurements [g(2)(τ) functions] are widely used to classify single-photon emission purity in quantum emitters or to measure the multiexciton quantum yield of emitters that can simultaneously host multiple excitations – such as quantum dots – by evaluating the value of g(2)(τ=0). Accumulating enough photons to accura...

We have conducted an extensive search for nitrogen-, oxygen-, and sulfur-bearing heterocycles toward Taurus Molecular Cloud 1 (TMC-1) using the deep, broadband centimeter-wavelength spectral line survey of the region from the GOTHAM large project on the Green Bank Telescope. Despite their ubiquity in terrestrial chemistry, and the confirmed presenc...

We have conducted an extensive search for nitrogen-, oxygen- and sulfur-bearing heterocycles toward Taurus Molecular Cloud 1 (TMC-1) using the deep, broadband centimeter-wavelength spectral line survey of the region from the GOTHAM large project on the Green Bank Telescope. Despite their ubiquity in terrestrial chemistry, and the confirmed presence...

The unimolecular photodissociation dynamics of acetone spanning the entire S 1 ← S 0 absorption spectrum have been reinvestigated, with a focus on mechanisms that produce CO. At excitation wavelengths of λ > 305.8 nm, all photoproducts are formed on the S 0 state after internal conversion. A roaming mechanism forming C 2 H 6 + CO is active in the w...

We report a systematic study of all known methyl carbon chains toward TMC-1 using the second data release of the GOTHAM survey, as well as a search for larger species. Using Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulations and spectral line stacking of over 30 rotational transitions, we report statistically significant emission from methylcyanotriacetylene (CH...

We report a systematic study of all known methyl carbon chains toward TMC-1 using the second data release of the GOTHAM survey, as well as a search for larger species. Using Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulations and spectral line stacking of over 30 rotational transitions, we report statistically significant emission from methylcyanotriacetylene (CH...

We report a systematic study of all known methyl carbon chains toward TMC-1 using the second data release of the GOTHAM survey, as well as a search for larger species. Using Markov-Chain Monte Carlo simulations and spectral line stacking of over 30 rotational transitions, we report statistically significant emission from methylcyanotriacetylene (CH...

The rotational spectra of the singly substituted carbon-13 isotopic species of six sulphur-terminated carbon chains have been detected between 5 and 40 GHz using a supersonic discharge jet source in combination with a cavity Fourier transform microwave spectrometer. These molecules are HC3HS, a closed-shell isomer of H2C3S, and five radicals: HCCS,...

Context. The chemical pathways linking the small organic molecules commonly observed in molecular clouds to the large, complex, polycyclic species long suspected of being carriers of the ubiquitous unidentified infrared emission bands remain unclear. Aims. To investigate whether the formation of mono- and polycyclic molecules observed in cold cores...

The characterization of interstellar chemical inventories provides valuable insight into the chemical and physical processes in astrophysical sources. The discovery of new interstellar molecules becomes increasingly difficult as the number of viable species grows combinatorially, even when considering only the most thermodynamically stable. In this...

Context. The recent interstellar detections of –CN containing aromatic species, namely benzonitrile, 1-cyanonaphthalene, and 2-cyanonaphthalene, bring renewed interest in related molecules that could participate in similar reaction networks. Aims. To enable new interstellar searches for benzonitrile derivatives, the pure rotational spectra of sever...

jats:title>Abstract Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have long been invoked in the study of interstellar and protostellar sources, but the unambiguous identification of any individual PAH has proven elusive until very recently. As a result, the formation mechanisms for this important class of molecules remain poorly constrained. Here we repo...

The chemical pathways linking the small organic molecules commonly observed in molecular clouds to the large, complex, polycyclic species long-suspected to be carriers of the ubiquitous unidentified infrared emission bands remain unclear. To investigate whether the formation of mono- and poly-cyclic molecules observed in cold cores could form via t...

The advent of chirped-pulse Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy has dramatically increased the acquisition rate of high-resolution data. However, this data is only useful when it can be translated into molecule-specific information, and ultimately chemical knowledge. To adapt to this high data rate regime, new data analysis tools, which do not...

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) have long been invoked in the study of interstellar and protostellar sources, but the unambiguous identification of any individual PAH has proven elusive until very recently. As a result, the formation mechanisms for this important class of molecules remain poorly constrained. Here we report the first interst...

Evolved low- to intermediate-mass stars are known to shed their gaseous envelope into a large, dusty, molecule-rich circumstellar nebula which typically develops a high degree of structural complexity. Most of the large-scale, spatially correlated structures in the nebula are thought to originate from the interaction of the stellar wind with a comp...

Evolved low- to intermediate-mass stars are known to shed their gaseous envelope into a large, dusty, molecule-rich circumstellar nebula which typically develops a high degree of structural complexity. Most of the large-scale, spatially correlated structures in the nebula are thought to originate from the interaction of the stellar wind with a comp...

Identifying PAHs in space Midinfrared spectroscopy has shown that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are abundant in many astronomical objects, but this technique cannot determine which specific PAH molecules are present. Radio astronomy could provide individual identifications if the molecule is sufficiently abundant and has a large dipole mo...

Ubiquitous unidentified infrared emission bands are seen in many astronomical sources. Although these bands are widely, if not unanimously, attributed to the collective emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, no single species from this class has been detected in space. We present the discovery of two -CN functionalized polycyclic aromatic...

Pure rotational transitions of the deuterated NH3−H2 weakly bound complexes formed by NH3/ND3 and H2/D2, namely ND3−H2, NH3−D2 and ND3−D2, have been detected. Three different techniques, a millimeter-wave intracavity jet OROTRON spectrometer, molecular beam Fourier transform microwave (FTMW) cavity spectrometer and the broadband chirped pulse (CP)...

jats:title>Abstract Using radio observations with the Green Bank Telescope, evidence has now been found for a second five-membered ring in the dense cloud Taurus Molecular Cloud-1 (TMC-1). Based on additional observations of an ongoing, large-scale, high-sensitivity spectral line survey (GOTHAM) at centimeter wavelengths toward this source, we have...

Using radio observations with the Green Bank Telescope, evidence has now been found for a second five-membered ring in the dense cloud Taurus Molecular Cloud-1 (TMC-1). Based on additional observations of an ongoing, large-scale, high-sensitivity spectral line survey (GOTHAM) at centimeter wavelengths toward this source, we have used a combination...

We report the discovery of two unsaturated organic species, trans-(E)-cyanovinylacetylene and vinylcyanoacetylene, using the second data release of the GOTHAM deep survey toward TMC-1 with the 100m Green Bank Telescope. For both detections, we performed velocity stacking and matched filter analyses using Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulations, and fo...

Much like six-membered rings, five-membered rings are ubiquitous in organic chemistry, frequently serving as the building blocks for larger molecules, including many of biochemical importance. From a combination of laboratory rotational spectroscopy and a sensitive spectral line survey in the radio band toward the starless cloud core TMC-1, we repo...

Benzonitrile (c-C6H5CN, where ‘c’ indicates a cyclic structure), a polar proxy for benzene (c-C6H6), has the potential to serve as a highly convenient radio probe for aromatic chemistry, provided that this ring can be found in other astronomical sources beyond the molecule-rich prestellar cloud TMC-1. Here we present radio astronomical evidence of...

As the inventory of interstellar molecules continues to grow, the gulf between small species, whose individual rotational lines can be observed with radio telescopes, and large ones, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons best studied in bulk via infrared and optical observations, is slowly being bridged. Understanding the connection between thes...

The evidence for benzonitrile (C6H5CN) in the starless cloud core TMC–1 makes high-resolution studies of other aromatic nitriles and their ring-chain derivatives especially timely. One such species is phenylpropiolonitrile (3-phenyl-2-propynenitrile, C6H5C3N), whose spectroscopic characterization is reported here for the first time. The low resolut...

The evidence for benzonitrile (C$_6$H$_5$CN}) in the starless cloud core TMC-1 makes high-resolution studies of other aromatic nitriles and their ring-chain derivatives especially timely. One such species is phenylpropiolonitrile (3-phenyl-2-propynenitrile, C$_6$H$_5$C$_3$N), whose spectroscopic characterization is reported here for the first time....

We report the discovery of two unsaturated organic species, trans-(E)-cyanovinylacetylene and vinylcyanoacetylene, using the second data release of the GOTHAM deep survey towards TMC-1 with the 100 m Green Bank Telescope. For both detections, we performed velocity stacking and matched filter analyses using Markov chain Monte Carlo simulations, and...

Rotational transitions in vibrationally excited AlO and TiO -- two possible precursors of dust -- were observed in the 300 GHz range (1 mm wavelength) towards the oxygen rich AGB stars R Dor and IK Tau with ALMA, and vibrationally excited AlO was observed towards the red supergiant VY CMa with the SMA. The $J=11 \to 10$ transition of TiO in the $v=...

The nebular circumstellar environments of cool evolved stars are known to harbour a rich morphological complexity of gaseous structures on different length scales. A large part of these density structures are thought to be brought about by the interaction of the stellar wind with a close companion. The S-type asymptotic giant branch star Pi1 Gruis,...

The nebular circumstellar environments of cool evolved stars are known to harbour a rich morphological complexity of gaseous structures on different length scales. A large part of these density structures are thought to be brought about by the interaction of the stellar wind with a close companion. The S-type asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star π ¹...

The nebular circumstellar environments of cool evolved stars are known to harbour a rich morphological complexity of gaseous structures on different length scales. A large part of these density structures are thought to be brought about by the interaction of the stellar wind with a close companion. The S-type asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star π1Gr...

Much like six-membered rings, five-membered rings are ubiquitous in organic chemistry, frequently serving as the building blocks for larger molecules, including many of biochemical importance. From a combination of laboratory rotational spectroscopy and a sensitive spectral line survey in the radio band toward the starless cloud core TMC-1, we repo...

Benzonitrile ($c$-C$_6$H$_5$CN), a polar proxy for benzene ($c$-C$_6$H$_6$}), has the potential to serve as a highly convenient radio probe for aromatic chemistry, provided this ring can be found in other astronomical sources beyond the molecule-rich prestellar cloud TMC-1 where it was first reported by McGuire et al. in 2018. Here we present radio...

As the inventory of interstellar molecules continues to grow, the gulf between small species, whose individual rotational lines can be observed with radio telescopes, and large ones, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) best studied in bulk via infrared and optical observations, is slowly being bridged. Understanding the connection betwe...

We report an astronomical detection of HC$_4$NC for the first time in the interstellar medium with the Green Bank Telescope toward the TMC-1 molecular cloud with a minimum significance of $10.5 \sigma$. The total column density and excitation temperature of HC$_4$NC are determined to be $3.29^{+8.60}_{-1.20}\times 10^{11}$ cm$^{-2}$ and $6.7^{+0.3}...

We present an overview of the GOTHAM (GBT Observations of TMC-1: Hunting Aromatic Molecules) Large Program on the Green Bank Telescope. This and a related program were launched to explore the depth and breadth of aromatic chemistry in the interstellar medium at the earliest stages of star formation, following our earlier detection of benzonitrile (...

The carbon chain ions HC3O + and HC3S +-longer variants of the famous "X-ogen" line carrier HCO +-have been observed for the first time using two cryogenic 22-pole ion trap apparatus (FELion, Coltrap) and two different light sources: the Free Electron Laser for Infrared eXperiments (FELIX), which was operated between 500 and 2500 cm −1 , and an opt...