9503274 Ziurys Dr. Ziurys will carry out a joint laboratory and observational investigation of molecules containing refractory elements that are of astrophysical interest. The laboratory program entails the measurement of the pure rotational spectra of such molecules at millimeter/submillimeter wavelengths, while the observations include astronomical detection and subsequent study of these species in interstellar clouds and circumstellar envelopes of late-type stars. The molecules of particular interest are simple metal-bearing carbide and nitride radicals.