Search for complex organic molecules in space

11th Pacific Rim Conference on Stellar Astrophysics: Physics and Chemistry of the Late Stages of Stellar Evolution

物理学;天文学

Ohishi, Masatoshi^1

National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1, Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo

181-8588, Japan^1

关键词: Complex organic molecules;    Molecular clumps;    Organic molecules;    Origin of life;    Prebiotic molecules;    Protoplanetary disks;    UV photons;    Weak signals;   

Others  :  https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/728/5/052002/pdf
DOI  :  10.1088/1742-6596/728/5/052002

学科分类：天文学(综合)

来源: IOP

【 摘 要 】

It was 1969 when the first organic molecule in space, H2CO, was discovered. Since then many organic molecules were discovered by using the NRAO 11 m (upgraded later to 12 m), Nobeyama 45 m, IRAM 30 m, and other highly sensitive radio telescopes as a result of close collaboration between radio astronomers and microwave spectroscopists. It is noteworthy that many famous organic molecules such as CH3OH, C2H5OH, (CH3)2O and CH3NH2were detected by 1975. Organic molecules were found in so-called hot cores where molecules were thought to form on cold dust surfaces and then to evaporate by the UV photons emitted from the central star. These days organic molecules are known to exist not only in hot cores but in hot corinos (a warm, compact molecular clump found in the inner envelope of a class 0 protostar) and even protoplanetary disks. As was described above, major organic molecules were known since 1970s. It was very natural that astronomers considered a relationship between organic molecules in space and the origin of life. Several astronomers challenged to detect glycine and other prebiotic molecules without success. ALMA is expected to detect such important materials to further consider the gexogenous deliveryh hypothesis. In this paper I summarize the history in searching for complex organic molecules together with difficulties in observing very weak signals from larger species. The awfully long list of references at the end of this article may be the most useful part for readers who want to feel the exciting discovery stories.