Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Dec 2007
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007aas...21114107g&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #211, #141.07; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 39, p.992
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
The current view is that organic species are mostly formed on the surface of dust grains until a heating event - such as the formation of a protostar - releases the icy mantles into the gas phase. Once these are released, Amino Acids can be formed by the combination of organic species known as "pre-biotic" molecules. Methanimine (CH2NH) is one such pre-biotic molecule. This can either combine with HCN to form aminoacetonitrile (H2CNNH2) and then glycine, the simplest amino acid, via hydrolysis (Strecker Synthesis), or combine with Formic Acid (HCOOH) directly to form glycine (NH2CH2COOH). Methanimine has been detected towards Sgr B2, and tentatively in the nearby galaxy, NGC 253, but has never been seen beyond the neighborhood of our Galaxy (i.e. beyond 5 Mpc).
We are conducting a cm-wave molecular line census in Arp 220, the nearest Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxy (ULIRG) and the prototype OH-megamaser source, using the Arecibo 305-m telescope. Among our results to date is the first detection of the prebiotic molecule methanimine in a distant galaxy. Methanimine is seen in emission, and is likely to be a weak maser. Also detected are three "direct l-type transitions with Del(J)=0" of Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN) from the J= 4, 5 and 6 levels. These HCN lines, previously undetected in any source, appear in absorption against the continuum radiation of this galaxy. The HCN J=2 line should lie near 1370 MHz, but is not detected. This is likely to be due to foreground free-free absorption within Arp 220.
Catinella Barbara
Ghosh Tapasi
Lebron Mayra
Lerner Mikael S.
Minchin Robert
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