A new carbon compound has been discovered for the first time in space by a group of international researchers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. The molecule, which is referred to as methyl cation (pronounced cat-eye-on) (CH3+), is significant because it aids in the development of more complex carbon-based molecules. Methyl cation was found in the Orion Nebula, about 1,350 light-years away, in a young star system with a protoplanetary disk called d203-506.
Since carbon compounds are the building blocks of all known life, they are of particular interest to researchers attempting to comprehend both the origins of life on Earth and its potential spread throughout the universe. Many astronomers are deeply intrigued by the new avenues Webb is opening up for the study of interstellar organic (carbon-containing) chemistry.
“This detection not only validates Webb’s incredible sensitivity, but also confirms the previously postulated central importance of CH3+ in interstellar chemistry,”
Marie-Aline Martin-Drumel of the University of Paris-Saclay in France,
Webb’s unique capabilities made it the ideal observatory for looking for this important molecule. The team’s success was aided by Webb’s exceptional spatial and spectral resolution as well as its sensitivity. The discovery was particularly solidified by Webb’s discovery of a number of important CH3+ emission lines.
The astronomers’ examination of the Orion Bar region is captured in this video by NIRCam. It is a region of intense activity with star formation and active astrochemistry, bathed in harsh ultraviolet light from the Trapezium Cluster’s stars. Because of this, it was an ideal location for investigating the precise effect that ultraviolet light has on the molecular composition of the gas-dust discs that surround new stars. Photoevaporation is the process by which the radiation erodes the gas and dust of the nebula. This creates the view’s rich tapestry of cavities and filaments. The molecules are also ionized by the radiation, which causes them to emit light. This not only makes for a beautiful scene, but it also makes it possible for astronomers to study the molecules by using the spectrum of their emitted light that Webb’s MIRI and NIRSpec instruments produce. The two exceptionally huge, brilliant stars are two of the three stars in the 2 Orionis framework; the Trapezium Bunch is otherwise called 1 Orionis. Dust puffs that are particularly bright and red surround the brightest star here, 2 Orionis A, and reflect the star’s light towards Earth. The fact that 2 Orionis A itself is a ternary system composed of three bright stars that are tightly bound together is the reason for its extreme brightness, which can be seen with the naked eye.
Stellardrone – Twilight Marie-Aline Martin-Drumel, a member of the scientific team from the University of Paris-Saclay in France, stated, “This detection not only validates the incredible sensitivity of Webb but also confirms the postulated central importance of CH3+ in interstellar chemistry.” Even though the star in d203-506 is a small red dwarf, nearby hot, young, massive stars are spewing strong ultraviolet (UV) light into the system. Researchers accept that most planet-framing circles go through a time of such extreme UV radiation since stars will generally shape in bunches that frequently incorporate huge, UV-delivering stars.
A portion of the Orion Nebula known as the Orion Bar can be seen in this image that was taken by Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera). Dynamic ultraviolet light from the Trapezium Cluster, which is in the upper left corner, interacts with dense molecular clouds in this area. The energy of the heavenly radiation is gradually dissolving the Orion Bar, and this significantly affects the atoms and science in the protoplanetary circles that have conformed to infant stars here. Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA, CSA, M. Zamani (ESA/Webb), and the PDRs4All ERS Team.
Team given that UV radiation typically destroys complex organic molecules. However, the team suggests that UV radiation may actually serve as the initial energy source for CH3+ formation. It then encourages additional chemical reactions to produce carbon molecules that are more complex once they have formed.
In general, the team says that the molecules in d203-506 are very different from those in typical protoplanetary disks. In particular, they were unable to locate any evidence of water.
A small portion of the Orion Nebula is depicted in this MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) image from Webb. A young star system with a protoplanetary disk known as d203-506 occupies the center of this view. In d203–506, a global team of astronomers discovered a novel carbon molecule called methyl cation for the first time. Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA, CSA, M. Zamani (ESA/Webb), and the PDRs4All ERS Team.
These discoveries, which are from the PDRs4ALL Early Delivery Science program, have been distributed in the journal Nature.
“This obviously demonstrates the way that bright radiation can totally change the science of a protoplanetary plate. It could really assume a basic part in the early synthetic phases of the starting points of life,” expounded Olivier Berné of the French Public Place for Logical Exploration in Toulouse, lead creator of the review.
More information: Olivier Berné et al, Formation of the Methyl Cation by Photochemistry in a Protoplanetary Disk, Nature (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06307-x
