An Expansion of A Rigorous K/Ka-Band Hunt for Aromatic Molecules (ARKHAM): Searching for a Benzene Proxy throughout the Earliest Stages of Star Formation

Presenter

Brayden John Wilcomb

Campus

Worcester State University

Sponsor

Andrew Burkhardt, Department of Earth, Environment, and Physics, Worcester State University

Schedule

Session 1, 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM [Schedule by Time][Poster Grid for Time/Location]

Location

Poster Board A61, Campus Center Auditorium, Row 4 (A61-A80) [Poster Location Map]

Abstract

Aromatic molecules are a vital component of biochemistry, and determining their origin is of great importance to understanding the origins of life. To do so, I analyze data collected by the observational survey ARKHAM (A Rigorous K/Ka-Band Hunt for Aromatic Molecules) using the Greenbank Telescope, to determine the formation of simple aromatic molecules in star-forming regions. My study focuses on benzonitrile (C₆H₅CN) as it is a polar proxy for benzene (C₆H₆), the simplest aromatic molecule, whose detection is far more difficult. Building upon the initial detections in four sources by Burkhardt et al (2021), I analyze spectra from star-forming regions within the Serpens cloud and the Taurus molecular cloud, and detect for the first time benzonitrile within Serpens 3a, 4a, 4b, and Taurens CH₃OH, as well as a tentative detection in Taurens NH₃. I compare the abundance of benzonitrile in these sources to those of HC₇N and HC₉N, abundant carbon chain molecules that may be involved in the bottom-up formation of aromatic molecules in the interstellar medium. If there is a significant difference in the spread of relative abundances within Serpens versus Taurens, it would indicate that the properties of the parent cloud have a significant effect on the aromatic chemistry within it. These findings help better our understanding of where these molecules essential for life first originated.

Keywords

Astrochemistry, Astronomy, Interstellar Medium, Aromaticity, Astrophysics

Research Area

Astronomy, Cosmology, and Astrophysics

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