Discovery of allenyl acetylene, H2CCCHCCH, in TMC-1. A study of the isomers of C5H4

Rotational Spectra of Unsaturated Carbon Chains Produced by Pyrolysis: The Case of Propadienone, Cyanovinylacetylene, and Allenylacetylene

Several interstellar molecules are highly reactive unsaturated carbon chains, which are unstable under terrestrial conditions. Laboratory studies in support of their detection in space thus face the issue of how to produce these species and how to correctly model their rotational energy levels. In this work, we introduce a general approach for producing and investigating unsaturated carbon chains by means of selected test cases. We report a comprehensive theoretical/experimental spectroscopic characterization of three species, namely, propadienone, cyanovinylacetylene, and allenylacetylene, all of them being produced by means of flash vacuum pyrolysis of a suitable precursor. For each species, quantum-chemical calculations have been carried out with the aim of obtaining accurate predictions of the missing spectroscopic information required to guide spectral analysis and assignment. Rotational spectra of the title molecules have been investigated up to 400 GHz by using a frequency-modulation millimeter-/submillimeter-wave spectrometer, thus significantly extending spectral predictions over a wide range of frequency and quantum numbers. A comparison between our results and those available in the literature points out the clear need of the reported laboratory measurements at higher frequencies for setting up accurate line catalogs for astronomical searches.

The QUIJOTE line survey of TMC-1

We present the recent results obtained with the QUIJOTE line survey of the cold dark core TMC-1. The observations have been carried out with the YEBES 40m radio telescope (see Figure 1) in the Q-band (31-50 GHz). A new set of receivers have been installed in the telescope within the frame of the ERC synergy Nanocosmos project that allows to cover the whole 31-50 GHz band in dual polarization [1]. The spectral resolution is 38.15 kHz. The sensitivity achieved so far varies between 0.12 and 0.25 mK, and allows to search for new molecules in a line by line (no stacking) detection procedure. These new data have permitted to detect the many relatively small protonated species of abundant molecules and eight sulfur-bearing species. The most exciting result is the detection of hydrocarbon chains and cycles with low permanent dipole moment, such as CH2CHCCH, CH2CCHCCH, the propargyl radical (C3H3), cyclopentadiene, indene (the first PAH detected in space), ortho-benzyne and two ethynyl derivatives of cyclopentadiene (c-C5H5CCH) ([2–7]). We have found that the gas-phase chemistry of hydrocarbons in TMC-1 has to be revisited in depth.

A complete 3mm line survey of the B1-b and TMC-1 cores

We present the 3mm spectral line survey performed at the IRAM 30m telescope towards the dense cores B1-b and TMC-1. Within the 46 GHz observed, we have identified more than 500 lines arising from more than 60 molecules. We have also detected tens of unidentified lines, allowing the discovery of new molecular species in space. In this contribution we discuss two examples: the case of H2NC and CH3CO+. In the latter, the 30m data was used in combination with the 7mm survey data from the Yebes 40m telescope, which provides lower energy transitions. Our deep 3mm and 7mm spectral surveys reveal a forest of lines at 50-100 mK, showing that dark clouds cannot be considered poor line sources anymore.

Detection of deuterated methylcyanoacetylene, CH2DC3N, in TMC-1

We report the first detection in space of the single deuterated isotopologue of methylcyanoacetylene, CH2DC3N. A total of fifteen rotational transitions, with J = 8-12 and Ka = 0 and 1, were identified for this species in TMC-1 in the 31.0-50.4 GHz range using the Yebes 40m radio telescope. The observed frequencies were used to derive for the first time the spectroscopic parameters of this deuterated isotopologue. We derive a column density of (8.0 ± 0.4) × 1010 cm-2. The abundance ratio between CH3C3N and CH2DC3N is ∼22. We also theoretically computed the principal spectroscopic constants of 13C isotopologues of CH3C3N and CH3C4H and those of the deuterated isotopologues of CH3C4H for which we could expect a similar degree of deuteration enhancement. However, we have not detected either CH2DC4H nor CH3C4D nor any 13C isotopologue. The different observed deuterium ratios in TMC-1 are reasonably accounted for by a gas phase chemical model where the low temperature conditions favor deuteron transfer through reactions with H2D+.

Pure hydrocarbon cycles in TMC-1: Discovery of ethynyl cyclopropenylidene, cyclopentadiene and indene

We report the detection for the first time in space of three new pure hydrocarbon cycles in TMC-1: c-C3HCCH (ethynyl cyclopropenylidene), c-C5H6 (cyclopentadiene) and c-C9H8 (indene). We derive a column density of 3.1 × 1011 cm-2 for the former cycle and similar values, in the range (1-2) × 1013 cm-2, for the two latter molecules. This means that cyclopentadiene and indene, in spite of their large size, are exceptionally abundant, only a factor of five less abundant than the ubiquitous cyclic hydrocarbon c-C3H2. The high abundance found for these two hydrocarbon cycles, together with the high abundance previously found for the propargyl radical (CH2CCH) and other hydrocarbons like vinyl and allenyl acetylene (Agúndez et al. 2021; Cernicharo et al. 2021a,b), start to allow us to quantify the abundant content of hydrocarbon rings in cold dark clouds and to identify the intermediate species that are probably behind the in situ bottom-up synthesis of aromatic cycles in these environments. While c-C3HCCH is most likely formed through the reaction between the radical CCH and c-C3H2, the high observed abundances of cyclopentadiene and indene are difficult to explain through currently proposed chemical mechanisms. Further studies are needed to identify how are five- and six-membered rings formed under the cold conditions of clouds like TMC-1.

O-bearing complex organic molecules at the cyanopolyyne peak of TMC-1: detection of C2H3CHO, C2H3OH, HCOOCH3, and CH3OCH3

We report the detection of the oxygen-bearing complex organic molecules propenal (C2H3CHO), vinyl alcohol (C2H3OH), methyl formate (HCOOCH3), and dimethyl ether (CH3OCH3) toward the cyanopolyyne peak of the starless core TMC-1. These molecules are detected through several emission lines in a deep Q-band line survey of TMC-1 carried out with the Yebes 40m telescope. These observations reveal that the cyanopolyyne peak of TMC-1, which is the prototype of cold dark cloud rich in carbon chains, contains also O-bearing complex organic molecules like HCOOCH3 and CH3OCH3, which have been previously seen in a handful of cold interstellar clouds. In addition, this is the first secure detection of C2H3OH in space and the first time that C2H3CHO and C2H3OH are detected in a cold environment, adding new pieces in the puzzle of complex organic molecules in cold sources. We derive column densities of (2.2 ± 0.3) × 1011 cm™2, (2.5 ± 0.5) × 1012 cm-2, (1.1 ± 0.2) × 1012 cm-2, and (2.5 ± 0.7) × 1012 cm-2 for C2H3CHO, C2H3OH, HCOOCH3, and CH3OCH3, respectively. Interestingly, C2H3OH has an abundance similar to that of its well known isomer acetaldehyde (CH3CHO), with C2H3OH/CH3CHO ~ 1 at the cyanopolyyne peak. We discuss potential formation routes to these molecules and recognize that further experimental, theoretical, and astronomical studies are needed to elucidate the true mechanism of formation of these O-bearing complex organic molecules in cold interstellar sources.

TMC-1, the starless core sulfur factory: Discovery of NCS, HCCS, H2CCS, H2CCCS, and C4S and detection of C5S

We report the detection of the sulfur-bearing species NCS, HCCS, H2CCS, H2CCCS, and C4S for the first time in space. These molecules were found towards TMC-1 through the observation of several lines for each species. We also report the detection of C5S for the first time in a cold cloud through the observation of five lines in the 31-50 GHz range. The derived column densities are N(NCS) = (7.8±0.6)×1011 cm-2, N(HCCS) = (6.8±0.6)×1011 cm-2, N(H2CCS) = (7.8±0.8)×1011 cm-2, N(H2CCCS) = (3.7±0.4)×1011 cm-2, N(C4S) = (3.8±0.4)×1010 cm-2, and N(C5S) = (5.0±1.0)×1010 cm-2. The observed abundance ratio between C3S and C4S is 340, that is to say a factor of approximately one hundred larger than the corresponding value for CCS and C3S. The observational results are compared with a state-of-the-art chemical model, which is only partially successful in reproducing the observed abundances. These detections underline the need to improve chemical networks dealing with S-bearing species.

Discovery of the propargyl radical (CH2CCH) in TMC-1: one of the most abundant radicals ever found and a key species for cyclization to benzene in cold dark clouds

We present the first identification in interstellar space of the propargyl radical (CH2CCH). This species was observed in the cold dark cloud TMC-1 using the Yebes 40m telescope. The six strongest hyperfine components of the 20,2-10,1 rotational transition, lying at 37.46 GHz, were detected with signal-to-noise ratios in the range 4.6-12.3 σ. We derive a column density of 8.7 × 1013 cm-2 for CH2CCH, which translates to a fractional abundance relative to H2 of 8.7 × 10-9. This radical has a similar abundance to methyl acetylene, with an abundance ratio CH2CCH/CH3CCH close to one. The propargyl radical is thus one of the most abundant radicals detected in TMC-1, and it is probably the most abundant organic radical with a certain chemical complexity ever found in a cold dark cloud. We constructed a gas-phase chemical model and find calculated abundances that agree with, or fall two orders of magnitude below, the observed value depending on the poorly constrained low-temperature reactivity of CH2CCH with neutral atoms. According to the chemical model, the propargyl radical is essentially formed by the C + C2H4 reaction and by the dissociative recombination of C3Hn + ions with n = 4-6. The propargyl radical is believed to control the synthesis of the first aromatic ring in combustion processes, and it probably plays a key role in the synthesis of large organic molecules and cyclization processes to benzene in cold dark clouds.