Complex organic molecules (COMs) have been detected in the gas-phase in cold and lightless molecular cores. Recent solid-state laboratory experiments have provided strong evidence that COMs can be formed on icy grains through 'non-energetic' processes. In this contribution, we show that propanal and 1-propanol can be formed in this way at the low temperature of 10 K. Propanal has already been detected in space. 1-propanol is an astrobiologically relevant molecule, as it is a primary alcohol, and has not been astronomically detected. Propanal is the major product formed in the C2H2 + CO + H experiment, and 1-propanol is detected in the subsequent propanal + H experiment. The results are published in Qasim et al. (2019c). ALMA observations towards IRAS 16293-2422B are discussed and provide a 1-propanol:propanal upper limit of < 0.35 - 0.55, which are complemented by computationally-derived activation barriers in addition to the performed laboratory experiments.
@article{arxiv.1906.06508,
title = {Synthesis of solid-state Complex Organic Molecules through accretion of simple species at low temperatures},
author = {D. Qasim and G. Fedoseev and K. -J. Chuang and V. Taquet and T. Lamberts and J. He and S. Ioppolo and E. F. van Dishoeck and H. Linnartz},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1906.06508},
year = {2020}
}
Comments
Proceedings IAU Symposium No. 350, 2019, Laboratory Astrophysics: from Observations to Interpretation