Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Cuadrado S
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5166968 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Astronomy and astrophysics 20161122
As many organic molecules, formic acid (HCOOH) has two conformers (<i>trans</i> and <i>cis</i>). The energy barrier to internal conversion from <i>trans</i> to <i>cis</i> is much higher than the thermal energy available in molecular clouds. Thus, only the most stable conformer (<i>trans</i>) is expected to exist in detectable amounts. We report the first interstellar detection of <i>cis</i>-HCOOH. Its presence in ultraviolet (UV) irradiated gas exclusively (the Orion Bar photodissociation region ...[more]