ALMA Detection of Interstellar Methoxymethanol (CH3OCH2OH)

Brett A. Mcguire , Christopher N. Shingledecker , Eric R. Willis , Andrew M. Burkhardt , Samer El-Abd , Roman A. Motiyenko (1) , Crystal L. Brogan , Todd R. Hunter , Laurent Margulès (1) , Jean-Claude Guillemin (2) , Robin T. Garrod , Eric Herbst , Anthony J. Remijan

1 PhLAM - Laboratoire de Physique des Lasers, Atomes et Molécules - UMR 8523
2 ISCR - Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes

We report the detection of interstellar methoxymethanol (CH3OCH2OH) in Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) Bands. 6 and. 7 toward the MM1 core in the high-mass star-forming region NGC 6334I at similar to 0 ''. 1-1 ''. spatial resolution. A column density of 4(2). x 10(18) cm(-2) at T-ex = 200 K is derived toward MM1, similar to 34. times less abundant than methanol (CH3OH), and significantly higher than predicted by astrochemical models. Probable formation and destruction pathways are discussed, primarily through the reaction of the CH3OH photodissociation products, the methoxy (CH3O) and hydroxymethyl (CH2OH) radicals. Finally, we comment on the implications of these mechanisms on gas-phase versus grain-surface routes operative in the region, and the possibility of electron-induced dissociation of CH3OH rather than photodissociation.

Keywords: astrochemistry; ISM: individual objects (NGC 6334I); ISM: molecules

Domains: Chemical Sciences

Brett A. Mcguire, Christopher N. Shingledecker, Eric R. Willis, Andrew M. Burkhardt, Samer El-Abd, et al.. ALMA Detection of Interstellar Methoxymethanol (CH3OCH2OH). The Astrophysical journal letters, 2017, 851 (2), pp.L46. ⟨10.3847/2041-8213/aaa0c3⟩. ⟨hal-01685693⟩