Detection of a new circumstellar carbon chain molecule, C4Si

A new interstellar carbon chain molecule, C4Si, has been detected in the envelope of the evolved star IRC + 10216. This molecule is the carrier of six unidentified lines which had been detected during the molecular line survey at Nobeyama Radio Observatory. The identification was made through astronomical detections followed by quantum chemical calculations and laboratory spectroscopic experiments. The rotational constant and the centrifugal distortion constant were B(0) = 1533.77206(146) MHz and D(0) = 0.00005827(35) MHz, respectively, where the numbers in parentheses represent one standard deviation in units of the last significant digits. The rotation temperature and the column density were 15 + or - 2 K and (7 + or - 1) x 10 to the 12th/sq cm, respectively, assuming a source size of 25 arcsec.