Related papers: Investigating solid-state CH3OH formation with che…
The formation of complex organic molecules (COMs) in protostellar environments is a hotly debated topic. In particular, the relative importance of the gas phase processes as compared to a direct formation of COMs on the dust grain surfaces…
We investigate the deuteration of methanol towards the high-mass star forming region NGC 7538-IRS1. We have carried out a multi-transition study of CH$_3$OH, $^{13}$CH$_3$OH and of the deuterated fllavors, CH$_2$DOH and CH$_3$OD, between…
The interstellar medium is known to be chemically complex. Organic molecules with up to 11 atoms have been detected in the interstellar medium, and are believed to be formed on the ices around dust grains. The ices can be released into the…
We present the detection of ethanol (C2H5OH), acetone (CH3COCH3), and propanal (C2H5CHO) toward the cyanopolyyne peak of TMC-1. These three O-bearing complex organic molecules are known to be present in warm interstellar clouds, but had…
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. $\textit{James…
N-methylformamide, CH3NHCHO, may be an important molecule for interstellar pre-biotic chemistry because it contains a peptide bond. The rotational spectrum of the most stable trans conformer of CH3NHCHO is complicated by strong…
Recent observations indicate that organic molecules are prevalent towards starless and prestellar cores. Deuteration of these molecules has not been well-studied during the starless phase. Published observations of singly-deuterated…
Despite the organic molecule inventory detected in Orion KL, acetaldehyde (CH3CHO) -- one of the most ubiquitous interstellar aldehydes -- has not been firmly identified with mm-wave interferometry. We analyze extensive ALMA archival…
Context. The detection of NH2CH2CH2OH (ethanolamine) in molecular cloud G+0.693-0.027 adds an additional player to the prebiotic molecules discovered so far in the interstellar medium (ISM). As this molecule might be formed through…
General characteristics of methanol (CH3OH) maser emission are summarized. It is shown that methanol maser sources are concentrated in the spiral arms. Most of the methanol maser sources from the Perseus arm are associated with embedded…
Isotopic fractionation is a very powerful tool to follow the evolution of material from one stage to the next in the star-formation process. Pre-stellar cores exhibit some of the highest levels of deuteration because their physical…
Water is an important reservoir species for oxygen in interstellar space and plays a key role in the physics of star formation through cooling by far-infrared emission. Whilst water vapour is present at high abundances in the outflows of…
The recent detection of gas-phase methanol (CH$_3$OH) lines in the disc of TW Hya by Walsh et al. provided the first observational constraints on the complex O-bearing organic content in protoplanetary discs. The emission has a ring-like…
We present the first detection of ($Z$)-1,2-ethenediol, (CHOH)$_2$, the enol form of glycolaldehyde, in the interstellar medium towards the G+0.693-0.027 molecular cloud located in the Galactic Center. We have derived a column density of…
Context: Methanol is thought to be mainly formed during the prestellar phase and its deuterated form keeps memory of the conditions at that epoch. Thanks to the unique combination of high angular resolution and sensitivity provided by ALMA,…
To date, two isomers of H$_2$C$_3$O have been detected, namely, propynal (HCCCHO) and cylclopropenone (c-H$_2$C$_3$O). A third, propadienone (CH$_2$CCO), has thus far eluded observers despite the fact that it is the lowest in energy of the…
We present the initial results of a 3-mm spectral line survey towards 83 methanol maser selected massive star-forming regions. Here we report observations of the J=5-4 and 6-5 rotational transitions of methyl cyanide (CH3CN) and the J=1-0…
In studies of the environment of massive young stellar objects, recent progress in both observations and theory allows a unified treatment of data for maser and 'quasi-thermal' lines. Interferometric maser images provide information on the…
The interaction between dust, ice, and gas during the formation of stars produces complex organic molecules. While observations indicate that several species are formed on ice-covered dust grains and are released into the gas phase, the…
Methanol (CH$_{3}$OH) ice is abundant in space and is a key feedstock for seeding chemical complexity in interstellar and circumstellar environments. Despite its ubiquity, gas-phase methanol has only been detected in one disk around a…