Methanimine At High Spatial Resolution In Sgr B2: Implications For The Formation Of Cyanomethanimine

Corby, Joanna F.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/51197 Copy

Description

Title

Methanimine At High Spatial Resolution In Sgr B2: Implications For The Formation Of Cyanomethanimine

Author(s)

Corby, Joanna F.

Contributor(s)

• Pate, Brooks
• Remijan, Anthony
• Perez, Cristobal
• Seifert, Nathan A.
• Steber, Amanda

Issue Date

2014-06-18

Keyword(s)

Mini-symposium: Astronomical Molecular Spectroscopy in the Age of ALMA

Abstract

Two transitions of methanimine (CH2NH) have been mapped towards Sgr B2 using the Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) with 1.5 arcsecond resolution. The two targeted transitions are both between low-lying energy states at similar frequencies, yet one appears in absorption whereas the other is in emission with the same line profile. The VLA data reveals that the spatial distributions of the two transitions match and that they are NOT associated with the hot core toward Sgr B2(N). As compared to other molecular lines observed towards Sgr B2 at centimeter wavelengths, the CH2NH emission line is highly uncharacteristic, and the transitions exhibits non-thermal effects implying a population inversion. We discuss the non-thermal excitation of CH2NH, observed spatial distributions, and implications for the chemistry in Sgr B2. Specifically, CH2NH may be important for the formation of the recently detected species E-cyanomethanimine [1] and of the Z- and N- conformers of cyanomethanimine. Laboratory work by Balucani et al [2] indicates that reactions between the CN radical and olefins (with a carbon-carbon double bond) may proceed without a barrier, potentially making the reaction CH2NH + CN $\rightarrow$ HCNHCN viable in the interstellar medium. 1 Zaleski, D.P., et al. 2013, ApJL, 765, L10 2 Balucani, N., et al. 2000, ApJ, 545, 892

Publisher

International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy

Type of Resource

text

Language

English

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/51197

DOI

https://doi.org/10.15278/isms.2014.WF03

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2014 by the authors. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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