Early-type stars observed in the ESO UVES Paranal Observatory Project - IV. Studies of CN, CH+ and CH in the interstellar medium

High spectral resolution (˜80 000) and signal-to-noise observations from the Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrograph Paranal Observatory Project (UVES-POP) are used to study the interstellar molecular lines CN (3874 Å), CH[SUP]+[/SUP] (3957, 4232 Å) and CH (3886, 4300 Å) towards 74 O- and B-type stellar sightlines. Additionally, archive data are presented for 140 ELODIE early-type stellar sightlines at R = 42 000, plus 25 FEROS at R = 48 000 and 3 UVES at R > 50 000, mainly in the CH[SUP]+[/SUP] (4232 Å) and CH (3886, 4300 Å) transitions. Detection rates are ˜45 per cent for CN and ˜67 per cent for the other lines in the POP sample, and ˜10-15 per cent for CH[SUP]+[/SUP] and CH lines in the additional sample. CH and CH[SUP]+[/SUP] are well correlated between log[N(CH) cm[SUP]-2[/SUP]]˜12-14, implying that these clouds are CH[SUP]+[/SUP]-like CH and not CN-like CH. CH is also very well correlated with Na I D in the range log[N(Na I cm[SUP]-2[/SUP]]) ˜12.2-14.2. A few sightlines show tentative velocity shifts of ˜2 km s[SUP]-1[/SUP] between CH and CH[SUP]+[/SUP], which appear to be caused by differences in component strength in blends, and hence do not provide firm evidence for shocks. Finally, we describe a search for [SUP]13[/SUP]CH[SUP]+[/SUP] in a sightline towards HD 76341. No [SUP]13[/SUP]CH[SUP]+[/SUP] is detected, placing a limit on the [SUP]13[/SUP]CH[SUP]+[/SUP] to [SUP]12[/SUP]CH[SUP]+[/SUP] ratio of ˜0.01. If a formal fit is attempted, the equivalent width ratio in the two isotopes is a factor ˜90 but with large errors.