arXiv subjects

E. R. Alonso

Publications and source records attributed to E. R. Alonso.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Expanding the C$_3$H$_6$O$_2$ Isomeric Interstellar Inventory: Discovery of Lactaldehyde and Methoxyacetaldehyde in G+0.693-0.027

The tentative detection of 3-hydroxypropanal (HO(CH$_2$)$_2$C(O)H) toward the Galactic center molecular cloud G+0.693-0.027 prompts a systematic survey in this source aimed at detecting all C$_3$H$_6$O$_2$ isomers with available spectroscopy. We use an ultra-deep broadband spectral survey of G+0.693-0.027, carried out with the Yebes 40 m and IRAM 30 m telescopes, to conduct the astronomical search. We report the first interstellar detection of lactaldehyde (CH$_3$CH(OH)C(O)H) and methoxyacetaldehyde (CH$_3$OCH$_2$C(O)H), together with the second detections (i.e., confirmation) of methyl acetate (CH$_3$C(O)OCH$_3$) and hydroxyacetone (CH$_3$C(O)CH$_2$OH), and new detections in this source of both $anti$- and $gauche$- conformers of ethyl formate (CH$_3$CH$_2$OC(O)H), the latter tentatively. In contrast, neither propionic acid, CH$_3$CH$_2$C(O)OH, nor glycidol, c-CH$_2$OCHCH$_2$OH (i.e., the most and the least stable species within the C$_3$H$_6$O$_2$ family, respectively) were detected, and we provide upper limits on their fractional abundances of $\leq$1.5 $\times$ 10$^{-10}$ and $\leq$3.7 $\times$ 10$^{-11}$. Interestingly, all C$_3$H$_6$O$_2$ isomers can be synthesized through radical-radical reactions on the surface of dust grains, ultimately tracing back to CO as the parent molecule. We suggest that formation of the detected isomers is mainly driven by successive hydrogenation of CO, producing CH$_3$OH and CH$_3$CH$_2$OH as the primary parent species. Conversely, propionic acid is thought to originate from the oxygenation of CO via the HOCO intermediate, which help us rationalize its non-detection. Overall, our findings notably expand the known chemical inventory of the interstellar medium and provide direct observational evidence that increasingly complex chemistry involving O-bearing species occurs in space.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2025

Laboratory rotational spectroscopy and interstellar search for the protein precursor 4-oxobutanenitrile (HCOCH$_2$CH$_2$CN)

Understanding the presence and distribution of prebiotic precursors in the interstellar medium (ISM) is key to tracing the chemical origins of life. Among them, 4-oxobutanenitrile (\ch{HCOCH2CH2CN}) has been identified in laboratory simulations as a plausible intermediate in the formation of glutamic acid, a proteinogenic amino acid. Here, we report its gas-phase rotational spectrum, measured using two complementary techniques: chirped-pulse Fourier transform microwave (CP-FTMW) spectroscopy (2$-$18 GHz) and free-jet millimeter-wave (FJ$-$AMMW) absorption spectroscopy (59.6$-$80 GHz). Quantum chemical calculations revealed nine low-energy conformers, of which the TC conformer was assigned based on the measured spectra. The resulting spectroscopic parameters were used to search for the molecule in the ultradeep spectral survey of the G+0.693-0.027 molecular cloud, located in the Galactic Center. No signal attributable to 4$-$oxobutanenitrile was detected. A stringent upper limit to its column density was derived ($N<$ 4 $\times$10$^{12}$ cm$^{-2}$), corresponding to a molecular abundance of $<$ 2.9 $\times$10$^{-11}$ relative to H$_{2}$. This upper limit lies well below the observed abundances of simpler structurally related species containing $-$HCO and $-$CN groups, underscoring the challenge of detecting increasingly complex prebiotic molecules in the ISM and the need for future, more sensitive astronomical facilities.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

Laboratory rotational spectroscopy of acrylamide and search for acrylamide and propionamide toward Sgr B2(N) with ALMA

Numerous complex organic molecules have been detected in the universe among which amides are considered as models for species containing the peptide linkage. Acrylamide bears in its backbone not only the peptide bond, but also the vinyl functional group which is a common motif in many interstellar compounds. This makes acrylamide an interesting target for a search in space. In addition, a tentative detection of the related molecule propionamide has been recently claimed toward Sgr B2(N). We report accurate laboratory measurements and analyses of thousands rotational transitions for the syn and skew forms of acrylamide between 75 and 480 GHz. Tunneling through a low energy barrier between two symmetrically equivalent configurations has been revealed for the higher-energy skew species. We searched for emission of acrylamide in the imaging spectral line survey ReMoCA performed with ALMA toward Sgr B2(N). We also searched for propionamide in the same source. Neither acrylamide nor propionamide were detected toward the two main hot molecular cores of Sgr B2(N). We did not detect propionamide either toward a position located to the east of the main hot core, thereby not confirming the recent claim of its interstellar detection toward this position. We find that acrylamide and propionamide are at least 26 and 14 times, respectively, less abundant than acetamide toward the main hot core Sgr B2(N1S), and at least 6 and 3 times, respectively, less abundant than acetamide toward the secondary hot core Sgr B2(N2). A comparison with results of astrochemical kinetics model for related species suggests that acrylamide may be a few hundred times less abundant than acetamide, corresponding to a value at least an order of magnitude lower than the observational upper limits. Propionamide may be as little as only a factor of two less abundant than the upper limit derived toward Sgr B2(N1S).

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

Millimetre-wave laboratory study of glycinamide and search for it with ALMA toward Sagittarius B2(N)

Glycinamide is considered to be one of the possible precursors of the simplest amino acid glycine. Its only rotational spectrum reported so far has been in the cm-wave region. The aim of this work is to extend its laboratory spectrum into the mm wave region to support its searches in the ISM. Glycinamide was synthesised chemically and was studied with broadband rotational spectroscopy in the 90-329 GHz region. Tunneling across a low energy barrier between two symmetry equivalent configurations of the molecule resulted in splitting of each vibrational state and many perturbations in associated rotational energy levels, requiring careful coupled state fits for each vibrational doublet. We searched for emission of glycinamide in the imaging spectral line survey ReMoCA performed with ALMA toward Sgr B2(N). We report the first analysis of the mm-wave rotational spectrum of glycinamide, resulting in fitting to experimental measurement accuracy of over 1200 transition frequencies for the ground state tunneling doublet, of many lines for tunneling doublets for two singly excited vibrational states, and determination of precise vibrational separation in each doublet. We did not detect emission from glycinamide in the hot core Sgr B2(N1S). We found that glycinamide is at least seven times less abundant than aminoacetonitrile and 1.8 times less abundant than urea in this source. A comparison with results of astrochemical kinetics models for species related to glycinamide suggests that its abundance may be at least one order of magnitude below the upper limit obtained toward Sgr B2(N1S). This means that glycinamide emission in this source likely lies well below the spectral confusion limit in the frequency range covered by the ReMoCA survey. Targetting sources with a lower level of spectral confusion, such as the Galactic Center shocked region G+0.693-0.027, may be a promising avenue. [abridged]

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arXiv2021

The GUAPOS project II. A comprehensive study of peptide-like bond molecules

Peptide-like bond molecules, which can take part to the formation of proteins in a primitive Earth environment, have been detected up to now only towards a few sources. We present a study of HNCO, HC(O)NH$_{2}$, CH$_{3}$NCO, CH$_{3}$C(O)NH$_{2}$, CH$_{3}$NHCHO, CH$_{3}$CH$_{2}$NCO, NH$_{2}$C(O)NH$_{2}$, NH$_{2}$C(O)CN, and HOCH$_{2}$C(O)NH$_{2}$ towards the hot core G31.41+0.31. We have used the spectrum obtained from the ALMA 3mm spectral survey GUAPOS, with an angular resolution of 1.2"$\times$1.2" ($\sim$4500 au), to derive column densities of all the molecular species, together with other 0.2"$\times$0.2" ($\sim$750 au) ALMA observations to study the morphology of HNCO, HC(O)NH$_{2}$ and CH$_{3}$C(O)NH$_{2}$. We have detected HNCO, HC(O)NH$_{2}$, CH$_{3}$NCO, CH$_{3}$C(O)NH$_{2}$, and CH$_{3}$NHCHO, for the first time all together outside the Galactic center. We have obtained molecular fractional abundances with respect to H$_{2}$ from 10$^{-7}$ down to a few 10$^{-9}$ and with respect to CH$_{3}$OH from 10$^{-3}$ to $\sim$4$\times$10$^{-2}$. From the comparison with other sources, we find that regions in an earlier stage of evolution, such as pre-stellar cores, show abundances at least two orders of magnitude lower than those in hot cores, hot corinos or shocked regions. Moreover, molecular abundance ratios towards different sources are found to be consistent between them within $\sim$1 order of magnitude, regardless of the physical properties (e.g. different masses and luminosities), or the source position throughout the Galaxy. New correlations between pairs of molecular abundances have also been found. These results suggest that all these species are formed on grain surfaces in early evolutionary stages of molecular clouds, and that they are subsequently released back to the gas-phase through thermal desorption or shock-triggered desorption.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

Rotational spectroscopic study and astronomical search for propiolamide in Sgr B2(N)

For all the amides detected in the interstellar medium (ISM), the corresponding nitriles or isonitriles have also been detected in the ISM, some of which have relatively high abundances. Among the abundant nitriles for which the corresponding amide has not yet been detected is cyanoacetylene (HCCCN), whose amide counterpart is propiolamide (HCCC(O)NH$_2$). With the aim of supporting searches for this amide in the ISM, we provide a complete rotational study of propiolamide from 6 GHz to 440 GHz using rotational spectroscopic techniques in the frequency and time domain. We identified and measured more than 5500 distinct frequency lines of propiolamide and obtained accurate sets of spectroscopic parameters for the ground state and the three low-lying excited vibrational states. We used the ReMoCA spectral line survey performed with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array toward the star-forming region Sgr B2(N) to search for propiolamide. We report the nondetection of propiolamide toward the hot cores Sgr B2(N1S) and Sgr B2(N2). We find that propiolamide is at least 50 and 13 times less abundant than acetamide in Sgr B2(N1S) and Sgr B2(N2), respectively, indicating that the abundance difference between both amides is more pronounced by at least a factor of 8 and 2, respectively, than for their corresponding nitriles. Although propiolamide has yet to be included in astrochemical modeling networks, the observed upper limit to the ratio of propiolamide to acetamide seems consistent with the ratios of related species as determined from past simulations.

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