Shedding light on an interstellar gas: Researchers derive theoretical spectrum of H2-CO
(Phys.org) -- One of the more frustrating problems in studying space and the universe is the fact that it’s made up of mostly hydrogen molecules that in the cold confines of space, are impossible to see. Perhaps even more frustrating is that researchers have known for some time that if they could get a handle on H2-CO molecules, they could very well get a better idea of how hydrogen molecules are organized because they come about when the two elementary molecules interact. Unfortunately, because the spin or rotation existent in such molecules is greater than the vibration produced by its components, the spectral images produced have been very nearly impossible to decipher. Now however, a team of researchers has figured out a way to interpret such images using sophisticated computer calculations and have written a paper describing their results and have had it published in the journal Science.