Discovery of the Pure Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Indene (c-C9H8) with GOTHAM Observations of TMC-1

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have long been invoked in the study of interstellar and protostellar sources, but the unambiguous identification of any individual PAH has proven elusive until very recently. As a result, the formation mechanisms for this important class of molecules remain poorly constrained. Here we report the first interstellar detection of a pure hydrocarbon PAH, indene (C9H8), as part of the GBT Observations of TMC-1: Hunting for Aromatic Molecules (GOTHAM) survey. This detection provides a new avenue for chemical inquiry, complementing the existing detections of CN-functionalized aromatic molecules. From fitting the GOTHAM observations, indene is found to be the most abundant organic ring detected in TMC-1 to date. And from astrochemical modeling with nautilus, the observed abundance is greater than the model's prediction by several orders of magnitude, suggesting that current formation pathways in astrochemical models are incomplete. The detection of indene in relatively high abundance implies related species such as cyanoindene, cyclopentadiene, toluene, and styrene may be detectable in dark clouds.

Automated summary

The study of Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in interstellar and protostellar sources has been challenging, but recently the first interstellar detection of a pure hydrocarbon PAH, indene, provides new insights into the formation mechanisms of this important class of molecules. Observations and modeling suggest that the abundance of indene in TMC-1 is higher than expected, indicating potential inaccuracies in current astrochemical models and opening up possibilities for further discoveries of related species in dark clouds.