The synthesis of hydrocarbon molecules in a shocked interstellar cloud

A calculation has been carried out in which the abundances of 108 species are followed for 105 yr after the passage of a 10 km s-1 shock through an interstellar cloud of initial density 100 cm-3. Post-shock abundances of hydrocarbon molecules containing from one to six carbon atoms are presented. Hydrocarbon species with up to six carbon atoms are found to attain post-shock fractional abundances of greater than 10-8. Column abundances of the hydrocarbon molecules are presented and their formation mechanisms are discussed. (author)