Formation of the methyl cation by photochemistry in a protoplanetary disk
Journal article, 2023
Forty years ago, it was proposed that gas-phase organic chemistry in the interstellar medium can be initiated by the methyl cation CH3+ (refs. 1–3), but so far it has not been observed outside the Solar System 4,5. Alternative routes involving processes on grain surfaces have been invoked 6,7. Here we report James Webb Space Telescope observations of CH3+ in a protoplanetary disk in the Orion star-forming region. We find that gas-phase organic chemistry is activated by ultraviolet irradiation.
Author
O. Berné
Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP)
Marie Aline Martin-Drumel
University Paris-Saclay
Ilane Schroetter
Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP)
J.R. Goicoechea
Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
Ugo Jacovella
University Paris-Saclay
Bérenger Gans
University Paris-Saclay
E. Dartois
University Paris-Saclay
Laurent H. Coudert
University Paris-Saclay
E. A. Bergin
University of Michigan
Felipe Alarcon
University of Michigan
Jan Cami
Western University
SETI Institute
Evelyne Roueff
Paris Observatory
John H Black
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Astronomy and Plasmaphysics
Oskar Asvany
University of Cologne
Emilie Habart
Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale
Els Peeters
SETI Institute
Western University
Amelie Canin
Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP)
Boris Trahin
Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale
C. Joblin
Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP)
S. Schlemmer
University of Cologne
S. Thorwirth
University of Cologne
Jose Cernicharo
Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
M. Gerin
Paris Observatory
A.G.G.M. Tielens
University of Maryland
Leiden University
Marion Zannese
Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale
Alain Abergel
Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale
J. Bernard-Salas
Innovative Common Laboratory For Space Spectroscopy (INCLASS)
Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur
Christiaan Boersma
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
E. Bron
Paris Observatory
Ryan Chown
Western University
S. Cuadrado
Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
D. Dicken
Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale
Meriem Elyajouri
Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale
A. Fuente
Spanish National Observatory (OAN)
K. Gordon
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
Lina Issa
Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP)
Olga Kannavou
Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale
Baria Khan
Western University
Ozan Lacinbala
KU Leuven
David Languignon
Paris Observatory
R. Le Gal
Grenoble Alpes University
Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)
Alexandros Maragkoudakis
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Raphael Meshaka
Paris Observatory
Yoko Okada
University of Cologne
Takashi Onaka
Faculty of Science and Engineering
University of Tokyo
Sofia Pasquini
Western University
Marc W. Pound
University of Maryland
Massimo Robberto
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
M. Rollig
Goethe University Frankfurt
Physikalischer Verein
Bethany Schefter
Western University
Thiébaut-Antoine Schirmer
Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Astronomy and Plasmaphysics
Ameek Sidhu
Western University
Benoît Tabone
Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale
Dries Van De Putte
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
S. Vicente
Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences (IA)
M.G. Wolfire
University of Maryland
Nature
0028-0836 (ISSN) 1476-4687 (eISSN)
Vol. 621 7977 56-59Subject Categories (SSIF 2011)
Physical Chemistry
Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology
Theoretical Chemistry
DOI
10.1038/s41586-023-06307-x
PubMed
37364766