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Astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope to discover a variety of molecules in and around early-stage protostars where planets have not yet formed. The molecules ranged from simple ones like methane to complex compounds like acetic acid (the acid in vinegar) and ethanol (which is an alcohol). Some of these are key ingredients of life and could form potentially habitable planets.
Scientists had predicted the presence of such complex organic molecules in protostars decades ago based on laboratory experiments and tentative detections made by other space telescopes. But this is the first time that the presence of these complex molecules in interstellar ice has been confirmed and also the first time that they have been identified individually. The scientists detected acetaldehyde, ethanol, methyl formate and acetic acid in solid state.
“This finding contributes to one of the long-standing questions in astrochemistry. What is the origin of COMs in space? Are they made in the gas phase or in ice? “The detection of COM in ice suggests that solid-phase chemical reactions on the surfaces of cold dust grains can generate complex types of molecules,” research team leader Will Rocha of the University from Leiden (Netherlands).
Several complex organic molecules were previously detected in the hot gas phase, but it is now thought that this may be due to ice sublimation. Sublimation refers to when a solid changes directly to a gas without becoming a liquid. The detection of these molecules in ice gives astronomers hope to develop a better understanding of the origins of other, more complex molecules in space.
The researchers also want to explore the extent to which these molecules are transported to planets at much later stages of protostar evolution. These ice molecules are transported more efficiently to planet-forming disks than cloud gas. They can then form part of comets and asteroids that can collide with planets in formation. This can lead them to planets, potentially providing the ingredients necessary for life to occur.
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