Identification of the simplest sugar-like molecule glycolaldehyde towards the hot molecular core G358.93-0.03 MM1

Abstract

Glycolaldehyde (CH${}_2$OHCHO) is the simplest monosaccharide sugar in the interstellar medium, and it is directly involved in the origin of life via the 'RNA world' hypothesis. We present the first detection of glycolaldehyde (CH${}_2$OHCHO) towards the hot molecular core G358.93-0.03 MM1 using the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA). The calculated column density of CH${}_2$OHCHO towards G358.93-0.03 MM1 is (1.52$\pm$0.9)$\times$10${}^{16}$ cm${}^{-2}$ with an excitation temperature of 300$\pm$68.5 K. The derived fractional abundance of CH${}_2$OHCHO with respect to H${}_2$ is (4.90$\pm$2.92)$\times$10${}^{-9}$, which is consistent with that estimated by existing two-phase warm-up chemical models. We discuss the possible formation pathways of CH${}_2$OHCHO within the context of hot molecular cores and hot corinos and find that CH${}_2$OHCHO is likely formed via the reactions of radical HCO and radical CH${}_2$OH on the grain surface of G358.93-0.03 MM1.

12 pages, 4 figures, published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS)

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