2004ApJS..152...97B

A number of nitrogen-containing organic molecules, such as the cyanopolyynes, have been detected in dense interstellar clouds, and saturated species such as ethyl cyanide (CH₃CH₂CN) have been found in ``hot-core'' type sources. One nitrogen-containing molecule of special interest is the pre-biotic three-membered ring species oxiranecarbonitrile (c-C₃H₃NO). A prior attempt to detect this species toward a variety of sources failed, but this attempt was based on low-frequency laboratory data. To facilitate a more effective interstellar search, we have studied the millimeter- and submillimeter-wave spectrum of the vibrational ground state of oxiranecarbonitrile. With the fast-scan submillimeter spectroscopic technique (FASSST), we have measured and analyzed over 1300 new spectral lines at frequencies up to 360 GHz. Fitting the data to a set of spectroscopic parameters from the Watson A-reduced form of the asymmetric-top Hamiltonian has allowed us to predict the frequencies and intensities of many more transitions through 400 GHz.