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A mapping of the newly identified, largest polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, which has so far been proven, cyanocorons. | Credit: NSF/AUI/NSF NRAO/P.Vosten
After the discovery of a large “aromatic” molecule in the deep room, scientists claim a “cosmic chemical rett”. The discovery suggests that these molecules could help sow planetary systems with carbon and to support the development of molecules that are needed for life.
The molecule, cyanocorons, belongs to a class of organic compounds based on carbon, which are referred to as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAK) and consisting of several melted aromatic rings in which electrons take part over double-bound carbon atoms and give them unique chemical stability.
“It is assumed that Pak locks a significant fraction of the carbon of the universe and plays a key role in chemistry that leads to the formation of stars and planets,” wrote National Radio Astronomy Observatory in an explanation. “So far, only smaller PAK has been recognized in space, whereby this new discovery drives the well -known size limit significantly.”
The scientists found that cyanocorons in the cold spatial conditions can form efficiently at low temperatures through reactions between corons and highly reactive cyanid dradicals.
“This means that the chemistry that builds complex organic stones can occur before the birth of stars,” the researchers wrote, which emphasized that such prebiotic molecules can be frequent ingredients in the early stages of star and planetary formation.
The rendering of cyanocorons by an artist, a newly identified polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon. | Credit: NSF/AUI/NSF NRAO/P.Vosten
The cyanocoron was identified by the Green Bank Telescope (GBT), part of the national radio astronomy observatory, in which Taurus molecular cloud (TMC-1). This constellating region in the Sternbecher Taurus and Ariga is known for its rich and complex chemistry.
The GBT – in Green Bank, West Virginia – is the largest, fully steerable radio telescope in the world. The GBT with a height of 485 feet with a bowl with a diameter of 100 meters (330 feet) is an essential tool to recognize weak radio signals from the deep space, including those that are emitted by molecules such as cyanocorons.
In contrast to optical telescopes that collect visible light, the GBT is designed for recognizing radio waves, a kind of electromagnetic radiation with much longer wavelengths. These waves are often emitted by cold, dense room regions such as the TMC-1, in which new stars and complex organic molecules can form.
In order to identify a certain molecule in space, scientists initially measure the microwave spectrum in a laboratory. Each molecule has a unique “fingerprint” – a pattern of energy transitions that appears as lines in the radio spectrum. With this information in hand, scientists use the GBT to collect radio waves and look for a match.
In the case of cyanocorons, the researchers found several suitable spectral lines in the data of the GBT and confirmed the presence of the molecule in TMC-1 with exceptional self-confidence far beyond the statistical opportunity that it would happen. The discovery opens the door for astronomers and astrochemists to look for even larger pahs and related molecules.
Scientists are now particularly interested in how these structures develop, fragmentation or interfere with other molecules under the influence of ultraviolet light, cosmic rays and shocks in interstellar space.
“Every new recognition brings us to the understanding of the origins of complex organic chemistry in the universe – and perhaps the origins of the building blocks of life itself,” “Gabi Wenzel, research scientist in the chemistry department on MIT and in the Harvard and Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and Lead Author of research.
The research was presented at the beginning of this month at the 246th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Anchorage, Alaska.
