Molecular Parameters for SH

NRAO National Radio Astronomy Observatory


The molecule has an inverted 2-Pi state, as with OH. Lambda doubling is thus a feature of its spectrum, as with OH.

Laboratory measurements 'The Rotational Spectrum of SH and SD' by
Klisch, E., Klaus, T., Belov, S. P., Dolgner, A., Schieder, R., Winnewisser, G., & Herbst, E. 1996, ApJ, 473, 1118

See also 'lamda-Doubling in the Infrared Spectrum of SH'
Winkel, R. J. & Davis, S. P. 1984, Canadian Journal of Physics, 62, 1420

See also Laboratory measurements by Ram et al. (1995) J. Mol. Spec. 172, 34.


  • Molecular Constants: B0=283587.62 (12) MHz for SH
  • B0=146885.297 (26) MHz for SD
  • Compare B = 283587.6 MHz (Johns and Ramsay (1961) Can. J. Phys. 39, 210.)
  • D = 18.9 MHz
  • Dipole Moment 0.758 Debye (Meerts and Dymanus (1975) Can. J. Phys. 53, 2123)


    • Astronomical Identification in R And (Star) of v=1 Ro-vibrational Lines by
    Yamamura, I., Kawaguchi, K., & Ridgway, S. T. 2000, ApJL, 528, L33

    Ro-vibrational lines were detected in the spectrum of the S-type red giant star R Andromedae, using the KPNO Fourier Transform Spectrometer. 34SH may also have been detected.

    Detection of the mercapto radical SH in the solar atmosphere by
    Berdyugina, S. V. & Livingston, W. C. 2002, A&A, 387, L6


    Back to the Known Interstellar Molecules Page