Related papers: Destruction of interstellar methyl cyanide (CH3CN)…
The studies of the complex organic molecular lines towards the hot molecular cores at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths provide instructive knowledge about the chemical complexity in the interstellar medium (ISM). We present the…
Nitrogen-bearing complex organic molecules have been commonly detected in the gas phase but not yet in interstellar ices. This has led to the long-standing question of whether these molecules form in the gas phase or in ices. $\textit{James…
We analyze the quantum-mechanical rotational excitation/de-excitation spectrum and cross sections of CN molecules during low and high-energy collisions with protons, H+. The problem is of significant importance in astrophysics of the early…
While the abundance of elemental deuterium is relatively low (D/H ~ a few 1E-5), orders of magnitude higher D/H abundance ratios have been found for many interstellar molecules, enhanced by deuterium fractionation. In cold molecular clouds…
Our automated reaction discovery program, AutoMeKin, has been utilized to investigate the formation of glycolonitrile (HOCH$_{2}$CN) in the gas phase under the low temperatures of the interstellar medium (ISM). The feasibility of a proposed…
Observations of comets and asteroids show that the Solar Nebula that spawned our planetary system was rich in water and organic molecules. Bombardment brought these organics to the young Earth's surface, seeding its early chemistry. Unlike…
Despite the fact that the majority of current models assume that interstellar complex organic molecules (iCOMs) are formed on dust-grain surfaces, there is some evidence that neutral gas-phase reactions play an important role. In this…
The low carbon content of Earth and primitive meteorites compared to the Sun and interstellar grains suggests that carbon-rich grains were destroyed in the inner few astronomical units of the young solar system. A promising mechanism to…
We have investigated the chemistry of ${\rm C + H_3^+}$ forming CH$^+$, CH$_2^+$, and CH$_3^+$. These reactions are believed to be some of the key gas-phase astrochemical processes initiating the formation of organic molecules in molecular…
X-rays emitted from pre-main-sequence stars at the center of protoplanetary disks can induce nonthermal desorption from interstellar ices populating the cold regions. This X-ray photodesorption needs to be quantified for complex organic…
Observations with the Short Wavelength Spectrometer (SWS) onboard the {\it Infrared Space Observatory} (ISO) have led to the first detection of the methyl radical ${\rm CH_3}$ in the interstellar medium. The $\nu_2$ $Q-$branch at 16.5…
The 29 reactions linking carbon monosulfide (CS) to methyl mercaptan (CH3SH) via ten intermediate radicals and molecules have been characterized with relevance to surface chemistry in cold interstellar ices. More intermediate species than…
Methyl acetate (CH_3COOCH_3) has been recently observed by IRAM 30 m radio telescope in Orion though the presence of its deuterated isotopomers is yet to be confirmed. We therefore study the properties of various forms of methyl acetate,…
We present experimental results obtained from photoionization and photodissociation processes of abundant interstellar CH$_3$-X type organic molecules like methanol (CH$_3$OH), methylamine (CH$_3$NH$_2$) and acetonitrile (CH$_3$CN) as…
Interaction of NH$_3$$^{+}$ (ND$_3$$^{+}$) and NH$^{+}$ with a hydrocarbon-covered tungsten surface kept at room temperature and heated to 150{\deg}C and 300{\deg}C showed a series of reactions between the projectile ion and hydrocarbons…
(Abridged) We aim to enlarge the number of known hot corinos and carry out a first comparative study with hot cores. The ultimate goal is to understand whether complex organic molecules form in the gas phase or on grain surfaces, and what…
The study of complex nitrogen (N)-bearing molecules is essential for probing the physical and chemical evolution of star-forming regions. In this paper, we present the identification of rotational emission lines from several complex…
We present strong detections of methyl cyanide, vinyl cyanide, ethyl cyanide and cyanodiacetylene molecules with the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) toward the Sgr B2(N) molecular cloud. Attempts to detect the corresponding isocyanide isomers…
HCN is a commonly observed molecule in Solar System bodies and in interstellar environments. Its abundance with respect to CN is a proposed tracer of UV exposure. HCN is also frequently used to probe the thermal history of objects, by…
Context: Hydrogenation reactions are expected to be among the most important surface reactions on interstellar ices. However, solid state astrochemical laboratory data on reactions of H-atoms with common interstellar ice constituents are…