NASA的韦伯发现了世界上的乙醇和其他冰冷成分

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has made a significant discovery by identifying complex organic molecules (COMs) surrounding two young protostars, IRAS 2A and IRAS 23385. These molecules include ethanol, acetic acid, formic acid, methane, formaldehyde, and sulfur dioxide, among others. The findings contribute to the understanding of the origin of COMs in space and their potential role in the formation of habitable worlds.

The detection of COMs in ices suggests that solid-phase chemical reactions on the surfaces of cold dust grains can build complex molecules. It is believed that these molecules originate from the sublimation of ices, providing insight into the origins of larger molecules in space.

Furthermore, scientists are interested in exploring how these icy COMs are transported to planets during later stages of protostellar evolution. It is speculated that these molecules could be incorporated into comets and asteroids, potentially delivering the ingredients for life to developing planets.

Of particular interest is the identification of these chemicals around the low-mass protostar, IRAS 2A, which may resemble the early stages of our solar system. This suggests that the identified chemicals were likely present during the early development of our own solar system and may have been delivered to the primitive Earth.

This research contributes to ongoing efforts to understand the astrochemical processes involved in the formation of planetary systems and has been accepted for publication in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. The team dedicated these results to their colleague Harold Linnartz, who passed away shortly after the acceptance of this paper.

The observations were part of the JOYS+ program (James Webb Observations of Young ProtoStars), and the team looks forward to further exploration of this astrochemical trail with more Webb data in the coming years.