Detection of a new methylamine (CH3NH2) source: Candidate for future glycine surveys

DOI DOI PDF 2 Citations Open Access
  • Masatoshi Ohishi
    National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 Japan
  • Taiki Suzuki
    Department of Astronomical Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
  • Tomoya Hirota
    National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 Japan
  • Masao Saito
    Department of Astronomical Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
  • Norio Kaifu
    National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 Japan

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<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Interstellar glycine (NH2CH2COOH), the simplest amino acid, has long been sought in studying a possible relation between the Universe and origin of life. In the last 40 or so years all surveys of glycine have failed; an alternative strategy would be to search for precursor(s) to glycine. Such studies of precursors would be crucial prior to conducting sensitive surveys with ALMA. Laboratory studies have suggested that CH3NH2 is a possible precursor to glycine. Further theoretical study also suggests that the CH2NH2 radical that can be formed from CH3NH2 through photodissociation can be a good precursor to glycine. Thus, we have looked for CH3NH2 towards several hot core sources using the Nobeyama 45 m radio telescope, and succeeded in finding a new CH3NH2 source, G10.47+0.03, with a fractional abundance of 1.5 ± 1.1 × 10−8; at the time of writing, this source is the most abundant source of CH3NH2 ever known. We found that the observed abundance of CH3NH2 agrees fairly well with the theoretical value predicted by R. T. Garrod (2013, ApJ, 765, 60). The detectability of interstellar glycine is discussed.</jats:p>

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