Tracing the origins of nitrogen bearing organics toward Orion KL with ALMA

Carroll, Brandon

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/97036 Copy

Description

Title

Tracing the origins of nitrogen bearing organics toward Orion KL with ALMA

Author(s)

Carroll, Brandon

Contributor(s)

• Blake, Geoffrey
• Bergin, Edwin
• Wilkins, Olivia H.
• Crockett, Nathan

Issue Date

2017-06-19

Keyword(s)

Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA)'s molecular view

Abstract

A comprehensive analysis of a broadband 1.2 THz wide spectral survey of the Orion Kleinmann-Low nebula (Orion KL) has shown that nitrogen bearing complex organics trace systematically hotter gas than O-bearing organics toward this source. The origin of this O/N dichotomy remains a mystery. If complex molecules originate from grain surfaces, N-bearing species may be more difficult to remove from grain surfaces than O-bearing organics. Theoretical studies, however, have shown that hot (T=300 K) gas phase chemistry can produce high abundances of N-bearing organics while suppressing the formation of O-bearing complex molecules. In order to distinguish these distinct formation pathways we have obtained extremely high angular resolution observations of methyl cyanide (CH$_3$CN) using the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) toward Orion KL. By simultaneously imaging $^{13}$CH$_3$CN and CH$_2$DCN we map the temperature structure and D/H ratio of CH$_3$CN. We will present updated results of these observations and discuss their implications for the formation of N-bearing organics in the interstellar medium.

Publisher

International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy

Type of Resource

text

Language

eng

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/97036

DOI

https://doi.org/10.15278/isms.2017.MF11

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2017 Brandon Carroll

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