The original source of the article looks better than the reader version posted, and includes pictures, but good article. Thanks for sharing!
this post was submitted on 27 Jun 2023
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Thanks in turn for posting that version.
I'm still a little surprised that the detection of this particularly very reactive species is so meaningful, but I really don't know much about the chemistry implications beyond being able to picture the structure and bonding in my head. (Wikipedia isn't particularly helpful unfortunately.) Though I guess it makes sense that if UV bombardment can somehow cause this thing ion to form them its reactiveness on its own means that it can precipitate the formation of other molecules.
Methyl cation sounds so common. In my limited impression in space chem more complicated molecules like CN and OCN have been detected by IR. Could someone more educated on this subject explain why is it so hard to detect it in space?