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Title:
Investigating the Limits of Chemical Complexity in Sagittarius B2(N): A Rigorous Attempt to Confirm 1,3-Dihydroxyacetone
Authors:
Apponi, A. J.; Halfen, D. T.; Ziurys, L. M.; Hollis, J. M.; Remijan, Anthony J.; Lovas, F. J.
Affiliation:
AA(Departments of Chemistry and Astronomy, University of Arizona, 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721; ), AB(Departments of Chemistry and Astronomy, University of Arizona, 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721; ), AC(Departments of Chemistry and Astronomy, University of Arizona, 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721; ), AD(Computational and Information Sciences and Technology Office, Code 606, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771), AE(National Radio Astronomy Observatory, 520 Edgemont Road, Charlottesville, VA 22901-2475), AF(Optical Technology Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8440)
Publication:
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 643, Issue 1, pp. L29-L32. (ApJL Homepage)
Publication Date:
05/2006
Origin:
UCP
ApJ Keywords:
Astrobiology, Astrochemistry, ISM: Abundances, ISM: Individual: Name: Sagittarius B2, ISM: Molecules
DOI:
10.1086/504979
Bibliographic Code:
2006ApJ...643L..29A

Abstract

A search for confirming transitions of 1,3-dihydroxyacetone, (CH2OH)2CO (hereafter DHA), has been made toward Sgr B2(N) using the Arizona Radio Observatory Submillimeter Telescope (SMT) and 12 m telescope at millimeter wavelengths. In addition, data for this species have been obtained at the Green Bank Telescope. In all, 63 new transitions of DHA were sought; no plausible emission was detected at 97% of these frequencies. Typical peak-to-peak limits of 10-30 mK were achieved, indicating that DHA is not present in Sgr B2(N) at the level reported by Widicus Weaver & Blake in 2005, by at least a factor of 300. The upper limit to the DHA column density is Ntot<5×1013 cm-2, suggesting that this species, a three-carbon keto sugar, is less abundant than the two-carbon aldehyde sugar, glycolaldehyde (CH2OHCHO), by a factor of at least 4. If sugars of higher complexity are formed in interstellar clouds, their synthesis may proceed one carbon atom at a time, possibly through aldehyde intermediates.
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