Detection of methylisocyanate (CH3NCO) in a solar-type protostar

Abstract

We report the detection of the prebiotic molecule CH3NCO in a solar-type protostar, IRAS16293-2422 B. A significant abundance of this species on the surface of the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko has been proposed, and it has recently been detected in hot cores around high-mass protostars. We observed IRAS16293-2422 B with ALMA in the 90 GHz to 265 GHz range, and detected 8 unblended transitions of CH3NCO. From our Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium analysis we derived an excitation temperature of 110+-19 K and a column density of (4.0+-0.3)x10^15 cm^-2 , which results in an abundance of <=(1.4+-0.1)x10^-10 with respect to molecular hydrogen. This implies a CH3NCO/HNCO and CH3NCO/NH2CHO column density ratios of ~0.08. Our modelling of the chemistry of CH3NCO suggests that both ice surface and gas phase formation reactions of this molecule are needed to explain the observations.

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• The ALMA-PILS survey: Detection of CH${}_3$NCO toward the low-mass protostar IRAS 16293-2422 and laboratory constraints on its formation
• The formation of peptide-like molecules on interstellar dust grains
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• The ALMA-PILS survey: Formaldehyde deuteration in warm gas on small scales toward IRAS 16293-2422 B
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• Amides inventory towards the G+0.693-0.027 molecular cloud
• Resolving desorption of complex organic molecules in a hot core: Transition from non-thermal to thermal desorption or two-step thermal desorption?
• The prebiotic molecular inventory of Serpens SMM1 I. An investigation of the isomers CH${}_3$NCO and HOCH${}_2$CN
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• Synthesis of complex organic molecules in soft x-ray irradiated ices
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• Modelling the abundance structure of isocyanic acid (HNCO) toward the low-mass solar type protostar IRAS 16293-2422
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• Possibility of Concentration of Non-volatile Species near the Surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
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