We report the detection of interstellar methoxymethanol (CH3OCH2OH) in ALMA Bands 6 and 7 toward the MM1 core in the high-mass star-forming region NGC 6334I at ~0.1" - 1" spatial resolution. A column density of 4(2) x 1018 cm−2 at Tex = 200 K is derived toward MM1, ~34 times less abundant than methanol (CH3OH), and significantly higher than predicted by astrochemical models. Probable formation and destruction pathways are discussed, primarily through the reaction of the CH3OH photodissociation products, the methoxy (CH3O) and hydroxymethyl (CH2OH) radicals. Finally, we comment on the implications of these mechanisms on gas-phase vs grain-surface routes operative in the region, and the possibility of electron-induced dissociation of CH3OH rather than photodissociation.
@article{arxiv.1712.03256,
title = {ALMA Detection of Interstellar Methoxymethanol (CH$_3$OCH$_2$OH)},
author = {Brett A. McGuire and Christopher N. Shingledecker and Eric R. Willis and Andrew M. Burkhardt and Samer El-Abd and Roman A. Motiyenko and Crystal L. Brogan and Todd R. Hunter and Laurent Margulès and Jean-Claude Guillemin and Robin T. Garrod and Eric Herbst and Anthony J. Remijan},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1712.03256},
year = {2017}
}