Detection of possible glycine precursor molecule methylamine towards the hot molecular core G358.93$-$0.03 MM1

Abstract

The search for the simplest amino acid, glycine (NH${}_2$CH${}_2$COOH), in the interstellar medium (ISM), has become a never-ending story for astrochemistry and astrophysics researchers because that molecule plays a possible connection between the Universe and the origin of life. In the last forty years, all searches for NH${}_2$CH${}_2$COOH in the ISM at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths have failed. Since the detection of NH${}_2$CH${}_2$COOH in the ISM was extremely difficult, we aimed to search for the possible precursors of NH${}_2$CH${}_2$COOH. Earlier, many laboratory experiments have suggested that methylamine (CH${}_3$NH${}_2$) plays an important role in the ISM as a possible precursor of NH${}_2$CH${}_2$COOH. After spectral analysis using the local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) model, we identified the rotational emission lines of CH${}_3$NH${}_2$ towards the hot molecular core G358.93$-$0.03 MM1 using the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA). The column density of CH${}_3$NH${}_2$ towards the G358.93$-$0.03 MM1 was estimated to be (1.10$\pm$0.31)$\times$10${}^{17}$ cm${}^{-2}$ with an excitation temperature of 180.8$\pm$25.5 K. The fractional abundance of CH${}_3$NH${}_2$ with respect to H${}_2$ towards the G358.93$-$0.03 MM1 was (8.80$\pm$2.60)$\times$10${}^{-8}$. The column density ratio of CH${}_3$NH${}_2$ and NH${}_2$CN towards G358.93$-$0.03 MM1 was (1.86$\pm$0.95)$\times$10${}^2$. The estimated fractional abundance of CH${}_3$NH${}_2$ towards the G358.93$-$0.03 MM1 agrees fairly well with the previous three-phase warm-up chemical modelling abundance of CH${}_3$NH${}_2$. We also discussed the possible formation mechanism of CH${}_3$NH${}_2$, and we find that CH${}_3$NH${}_2$ is most probably formed via the reactions of radical CH${}_3$ and radical NH${}_2$ on the grain surface of G358.93$-$0.03 MM1.

Published in New Astronomy

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• Detection of antifreeze molecule ethylene glycol in the hot molecular core G358.93$-$0.03 MM1
• Observation of Complex Organic Molecules Containing Peptide-like Bonds Toward Hot Core G358.93$-$0.03 MM1
• Detection and prebiotic chemistry of possible glycine precursor molecule methylenimine towards the hot molecular core G10.47+0.03
• First detection of ethylene oxide and acetaldehyde in hot core G358.93$-$0.03 MM1: Tracing prebiotic oxygen chemistry
• ALMA and GMRT Studies of Dust Continuum Emission and Spectral Lines Toward Oort Cloud Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)
• Organic Acid Chemistry in ISM: Detection of Formic Acid and its Prebiotic Chemistry in Hot Core G358.93$-$0.03 MM1