Protonated methane, a.k.a. CH5+, is a highly unusual molecule that scientists and astronomers suspect may be found within the interstellar medium where stars and planets are formed. To identify ...

Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest sci-tech news updates. The researchers prepared a Be⁺-HD⁺ two-component ion Coulomb crystal at millikelvin temperatures in a linear ion trap. They developed ...

Molecular ions have long been considered key intermediates in the evolution of molecular complexity in the interstellar medium. However, owing to their reactivity and transient nature, ions have ...

In the gaseous phase, vibrational-, rotational- and translational-energy transfer between small molecules can be observed experimentally from time-dependent optical spectra. Populations in the ...

Infrared spectroscopy is a standard technique, which depends upon the interaction between infrared radiation and the vibrating dipole moments of molecules. Except for homonuclear diatomics and noble ...

Vibrational-rotational transition spectrum with resolved hyperfine structure of HD⁺. Credit: APM Compared with traditional cryogenic cooling or optical pumping methods, this technique significantly ...