Observations of Interstellar CH at 9 cm Wavelength

Abstract

The 9 cm ground-state lines of CH have been observed in southern galactic sources, mainly HII regions. The F = 0-1 transition at 3264 MHz has been detected in emission in 16 sources; the F = 1-1 transition at 3335 MHz has been seen in absorption in 5 sources and in emission in 2 others. Where the F = 1-1 transition is in absorption the transition temperature is positive and below about 100 K. The F = 0-1 transition is generally inverted, with a transition temperature between -10 and 0 K. The column densities of CH are in the vicinity of lO'4 cm-2, slightly below those for OH but many times those for H2CO. There is no correlation between apparent optical depths of CH and those for OH or H2CO absorption. There is also no enhancement of CH in the dense molecular clouds near the centre of the Galaxy.