pith. sign in

arxiv: 2302.08825 · v1 · pith:4VZFQU5Ynew · submitted 2023-02-17 · 🌌 astro-ph.GA

Discovery of CH3CHCO in TMC-1 with the QUIJOTE line survey

classification 🌌 astro-ph.GA
keywords ch3chcoketeneabundanceisomermethylrotationalch2chchochemical
0
0 comments X
read the original abstract

We report the detection of methyl ketene towards TMC-1 with the QUIJOTE line survey. Nineteen rotational transitions with rotational quantum numbers ranging from J = 3 up to J = 5 and Ka =< 2 were identified in the frequency range 32.0-50.4 GHz, 11 of which arise above the 3{\sigma} level. We derived a column density for CH3CHCO of N=1.5x10^11 cm-2 and a rotational temperature of 9 K. Hence, the abundance ratio between ketene and methyl ketene, CH2CO/CH3CHCO, is 93. This species is the second C3H4O isomer detected. The other, trans-propenal (CH2CHCHO), corresponds to the most stable isomer and has a column density of N=(2.2+-0.3)x10^11 cm-2, which results in an abundance ratio CH2CHCHO/CH3CHCO of 1.5. The next non-detected isomer with the lowest energy is cis-propenal, which is therefore a good candidate for future discovery. We have carried out an in-depth study of the possible gas-phase chemical reactions involving methyl ketene to explain the abundance detected, achieving good agreement between chemical models and observations.

This paper has not been read by Pith yet.

discussion (0)

Sign in with ORCID, Apple, or X to comment. Anyone can read and Pith papers without signing in.