Related papers: The interstellar heritage of comets
We investigate the chemical evolution of a forming molecular cloud behind an interstellar shock wave. We conduct three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics simulations of the converging flow of atomic gas, including a simple chemical network…
The transition between atomic and molecular hydrogen is associated with important changes in the structure of interstellar clouds, and marks the beginning of interstellar chemistry. Because of the relatively simple networks controlling…
The precursors to larger, biologically-relevant molecules are detected throughout interstellar space, but determining the presence and properties of these molecules during planet formation requires observations of protoplanetary disks at…
Observations of low-mass protostellar systems show evidence of rich complex organic chemistry. Their low luminosity, however, makes determining abundance distributions of complex organic molecules (COMs) within the water snowline…
Massive young stellar objects in the Magellanic Clouds show infrared absorption features corresponding to significant abundances of CO, CO$_2$ and H$_2$O ice along the line of sight, with the relative abundances of these ices differing…
(Abridged) The terrestrial planets, comets, and meteorites are significantly enriched in 15N compared to the Sun and Jupiter. While the solar and jovian nitrogen isotope ratio is believed to represent the composition of the protosolar…
Our goal is to take an inventory of complex molecules in three well-known high-mass protostars for which disks or toroids have been claimed and to study the similarities and differences with a sample of massive YSOs without evidence of such…
Complex organic molecules (COMs) have been detected in a variety of interstellar sources. The abundances of these COMs in warming sources can be explained by syntheses linked to increasing temperatures and densities, allowing quasi-thermal…
One of the least understood properties of comets is the compositional structure of their nuclei, which can either be homogeneous or heterogeneous. The nucleus structure can be conveniently studied at millimeter wavelengths, using…
The complex organic molecules (COMs) detected in star-forming regions are the precursors of the prebiotic molecules that can lead to the emergence of life. By studying COMs in more evolved protoplanetary disks we can gain a better…
Using the recently-commissioned Submillimeter Array (SMA), we have detected several complex organic molecules, including (CH3)2O, C2H5OH, C2H5CN, and tentatively CH2CDCN, toward the protostellar hot cores of IRAS 16293-2422 at…
Advances in infrared and submillimeter technology have allowed for detailed observations of the molecular content of the planet-forming regions of protoplanetary disks. In particular, disks around solar-type stars now have growing molecular…
The chemical inventory of planets is determined by the physical and chemical processes that govern the early phases of star formation. The aim is to investigate N-bearing complex organic molecules towards two Class 0 protostars (B1-c and…
Massive young stellar objects (MYSOs) with hot cores are classic sources of complex organic molecules. The origins of these molecules in such sources, as well as the small- and large-scale differentiation between nitrogen- and…
Freeze-out of the gas phase elements onto cold grains in dense interstellar and circumstellar media builds up ice mantles consisting of molecules that are mostly formed in situ (H2O, NH3, CO2, CO, CH3OH, and more). This review summarizes…
During the million years of evolution, gas dust and ice in protoplanetary disks can be chemically reprocessed. There are evidences that the gas-phase carbon and oxygen abundances are sub-solar in disks belonging to nearby star forming…
In the laboratory, the photo-and thermochemical evolution of ices, made of simple molecules of astrophysical relevance, always leads to the formation of semi-refractory water-soluble organic residues. Targeted searches for specific…
Complex organic molecules serve as indicators of molecular diversity. Their detection on comets, planets, and moons has prompted inquiries into their origins, particularly the conditions conducive to their formation. One hypothesis suggests…
The disk midplane temperature is potentially affected by the dust traps/rings. The dust depletion beyond the water snowline will cast a shadow. In this study, we adopt a detailed gas-grain chemical reaction network, and investigate the…
The origin and evolution of organic molecules represent a pivotal issue in the fields of astrobiology and astrochemistry, potentially shedding light on the origins of life. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), with its exceptional…