Journal
ACS EARTH AND SPACE CHEMISTRY
Volume 6, Issue 3, Pages 455-467Publisher
AMER CHEMICAL SOC
DOI: 10.1021/acsearthspacechem.1c00330
Keywords
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Funding
- Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) Ambizione Grant [193453]
- European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union [646908, 949278]
- Agence Nationale de la Recherche [ANR-19-ERC7-0001-01]
- European Research Council (ERC) [949278] Funding Source: European Research Council (ERC)
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This study aims to determine the abundances of interstellar amides by observing a specific protostar and analyzing the presence of characteristic rotational lines of amides and other molecules. The results show the detection of several amides and a uniform ratio between two specific amides. The findings suggest that these amides are formed on icy dust grains and could serve as a reservoir of prebiotic material for the formation of planetary systems.
This work aims to constrain the abundances of interstellar amides, by searching for this group of prebiotic molecules in the intermediate-mass protostar Serpens SMM1-a. ALMA observations are conducted toward Serpens SMM1. A spectrum is extracted toward the SMM1-a position and analyzed with the CASSIS line analysis software for the presence of characteristic rotational lines of a number of amides and other molecules. NH2CHO, NH2CHO nu(12) = 1, (NH2CHO)-C-13, CH3C(O)-NH2 nu = 0, 1, CH2DOH, CH3CHO, and CH3C(O)CH3 are securely detected, while trans-NHDCHO, NH2CDO, CH3NHCHO nu = 0, 1, CH3COOH, and HOCH2CHO are tentatively identified. The results of this work are compared with detections presented in the literature. A uniform CH3C(O)NH2/NH2CHO ratio is found for a group of interstellar sources with vast physical differences. A similar ratio is seen for CH3NHCHO, based on a smaller data sample. The D/H ratio of NH2CHO is about 1-3% and is close to values found in the low-mass source IRAS 16293-2422B. The formation of CH3C(O)NH2 and NH2CHO is likely linked. Formation of these molecules on grain surfaces during the dark cloud stage is a likely scenario. The high D/H ratio of NH2CHO is also seen as an indication that these molecules are formed on icy dust grains. As a direct consequence, amides are expected to be present in the most pristine material from which planetary systems form, thus providing a reservoir of prebiotic material.
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