Laboratory astrophysics and molecular astronomy of pure carbon molecules.

The pure carbon molecules Cn are currently of great experimental and theoretical interest. Our work in this area begins with detection of the SiC molecule, which is isovalent with C2. New infrared electronic transitions of C2 and C3 were discovered by emission spectroscopy of hydrocarbon dicharges. The C3 and C5 molecules were found by infrared vibration-rotation spectroscopy of the prototypical obscured carbon star, IRC+10216. C7 and C9 were searched for in the same source, but not found. The laboratory infrared emission spectrum of C60 was recorded to aid in a search for C60 in extraterrestrial sources.