Astronomers using the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) on the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope have detected a variety of molecules ranging from relatively simple ones like methane to complex compounds like ethanol (alcohol) and acetic acid in interstellar ices toward one low- and one high-mass protostar: NGC 1333 IRAS 2A and IRAS 23385+6053, respectively.
Complex organic molecules (COMs) are molecules with six atoms or more, including at least one atom of carbon.
They are intrinsically important to comprehend the chemical complexity developed in star-forming regions since these materials are the feedstock for future exoplanetary systems.
When made available in primitive planetary systems, this material can potentially promote the habitability of planets.
In a new study, Leiden University astronomers Will Rocha, Harold Linnartz and their colleagues used Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument to explore the COMs ice signatures in two protostars: NGC 1333 IRAS 2A and IRAS 23385+6053.
They were able to identify a variety of COMs like ethanol (alcohol) and likely acetic acid (an ingredient in vinegar).
“Our finding contributes to one of the long-standing questions in astrochemistry,” Dr. Rocha said.
“What is the origin of COMs in space? Are they made in the gas phase or in ices? The detection of COMs in ices suggests that solid-phase chemical reactions on the surfaces of cold dust grains can build complex kinds of molecules.”
“As several COMs, including those detected in the solid phase in our research, were previously detected in the warm gas phase, it is now believed that they originate from the sublimation of ices.”
“Sublimation is to change directly from a solid to a gas without becoming a liquid.”
“Therefore, detecting COMs in ices makes us hopeful about improved understanding of the origins of other, even larger molecules in space.”
The researchers also detected simpler molecules, including formic acid, methane, formaldehyde, and sulfur…
Read the full article here