scholarly journals First detection of C2H5NCO in the ISM and search of other isocyanates towards the G+0.693-0.027 molecular cloud

2021 ◽  
Vol 654 ◽  
pp. L1
Author(s):  
L. F. Rodríguez-Almeida ◽  
V. M. Rivilla ◽  
I. Jiménez-Serra ◽  
M. Melosso ◽  
L. Colzi ◽  
...  

Context. Little is known about the chemistry of isocyanates (compounds with the functional group R-N=C=O) in the interstellar medium (ISM), as only four of them have been detected so far: isocyanate radical (NCO), isocyanic acid (HNCO), N-protonated isocyanic acid (H2NCO+), and methyl isocyanate (CH3NCO). The molecular cloud G+0.693-0.027, located in the Galactic Centre, represents an excellent candidate to search for new isocyanates since it exhibits high abundances of the simplest ones, HNCO and CH3NCO. Aims. After CH3NCO, the next most complex isocyanates are ethyl isocyanate (C2H5NCO) and vinyl isocyanate (C2H3NCO). Their detection in the ISM would enhance our understanding of the formation of these compounds in space. Methods. We have searched for C2H5NCO, H2NCO+, C2H3NCO, and cyanogen isocyanate (NCNCO) in a sensitive unbiased spectral survey carried out in the 2 mm and 7 mm radio windows using the IRAM 30m and Yebes 40m radio telescopes, respectively. Results. We have detected C2H5NCO and H2NCO+ towards G+0.693-0.027 (the former for the first time in the ISM) with molecular abundances of (4.7–7.3) × 10−11 and (1.0–1.5) × 10−11, respectively. A ratio of CH3NCO/C2H5NCO = 8 ± 1 is obtained; therefore, the relative abundance determined for HNCO:CH3NCO:C2H5NCO is 1:1/55:1/447, which implies a decrease by more than one order of magnitude, going progressively from HNCO to CH3NCO and to C2H5NCO. This is similar to what has been found for alcohols and thiols, for example, and suggests that C2H5NCO is likely formed on the surface of dust grains. In addition, we have obtained column density ratios of HNCO/NCO > 269, HNCO/H2NCO+ ∼ 2100, and C2H3NCO/C2H5NCO < 4. A comparison of the methyl/ethyl ratios for isocyanates (-NCO), alcohols (-OH), formiates (HCOO-), nitriles (-CN), and thiols (-SH) is performed and shows that ethyl derivatives may be formed more efficiently for the N-bearing molecules than for the O- and S-bearing molecules.

2021 ◽  
Vol 502 (1) ◽  
pp. 1246-1252
Author(s):  
M Zoccali ◽  
E Valenti ◽  
F Surot ◽  
O A Gonzalez ◽  
A Renzini ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT We analyse the near-infrared colour–magnitude diagram of a field including the giant molecular cloud G0.253+0.016 (a.k.a. The Brick) observed at high spatial resolution, with HAWK-I@VLT. The distribution of red clump stars in a line of sight crossing the cloud, compared with that in a direction just beside it, and not crossing it, allow us to measure the distance of the cloud from the Sun to be 7.20, with a statistical uncertainty of ±0.16 and a systematic error of ±0.20 kpc. This is significantly closer than what is generally assumed, i.e. that the cloud belongs to the near side of the central molecular zone, at 60 pc from the Galactic centre. This assumption was based on dynamical models of the central molecular zone, observationally constrained uniquely by the radial velocity of this and other clouds. Determining the true position of the Brick cloud is relevant because this is the densest cloud of the Galaxy not showing any ongoing star formation. This puts the cloud off by one order of magnitude from the Kennicutt–Schmidt relation between the density of the dense gas and the star formation rate. Several explanations have been proposed for this absence of star formation, most of them based on the dynamical evolution of this and other clouds, within the Galactic centre region. Our result emphasizes the need to include constraints coming from stellar observations in the interpretation of our Galaxy’s central molecular zone.


1975 ◽  
Vol 53 (19) ◽  
pp. 1869-1901 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. H. Hocking ◽  
M. C. L. Gerry ◽  
Gisbert Winnewisser

The microwave and millimetre wave spectra of six isotopic species of isocyanic acid, HNCO, have been measured. The molecule is a very slightly asymmetric prolate rotor. Besides the a type R branches, previously reported for two species, we have assigned for the first time a type Q branches and also some intense b type P and R branch transitions. Accurate values of the rotational constants have been determined. The rotational constant A0 is particularly large, with the result that the molecule undergoes very large centrifugal distortion, and terms up to the 12th power in the angular momentum are required to fit the spectrum. 14N nuclear quadrupole hyperfine splitting has been measured and accurate values for both χaa and (χbb − χcc) have been obtained, the latter for the first time. From the Stark effect of the b type transitions we have found the b component of the dipole moment to be 1.35 ± 0.1 D, an order of magnitude larger than previously supposed, and have used it to reinterpret earlier data indicating a variation of the a component with Ka. An improved molecular structure has been obtained. Astrophysical consequences of the large b component of the dipole moment are discussed. A table of transitions of potential astrophysical interest is presented.


2002 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Hampl ◽  
Martin Hill ◽  
Luboslav Stárka

3β,7α-Dihydroxyandrost-5-en-17-one (1) (7α-OH-DHEA) and its 7β-hydroxy epimer 2 (7β-OH-DHEA) - 7α- and 7β-hydroxydehydroepiandrosterone - were detected and quantified in three human body fluids: in blood serum, saliva and ejaculate. Specific radioimmunoassay and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry have been used. For the first time the data on changes of these dehydroepiandrosterone metabolites are reported for a representative group of healthy subjects of both sexes (172 females and 217 males) during the life span. The serum levels of both 7-hydroxydehydroepiandrosterone epimers in serum and also in semen were in the low nanomolar range, while concentrations by one order of magnitude lower were found in saliva, but still within the detection limit. The results will serve as a basis for comparative studies of 7-hydroxydehydroepiandrosterone levels under various pathophysiological conditions, with a particular respect to autoimmune disorders.


Author(s):  
C.-L. Ng ◽  
K. A. Sallam

The deformation of laminar liquid jets in gaseous crossflow before the onset of primary breakup is studied motivated by its application to fuel injection in jet afterburners and agricultural sprays, among others. Three crossflow Weber numbers that represent three different liquid jet breakup regimes; column, bag, and shear breakup regimes, were studied at large liquid/gas density ratios and small Ohnesorge numbers. In each case the liquid jet was simulated from the jet exit and ended before the location where the experimental data indicated the onset of breakup. The results show that in column and bag breakup, the reduced pressures along the sides of the jet cause the liquid to move to the sides of the jet and enhance the jet deformation. In shear breakup, the flattened upwind surface pushes the liquid towards the two sides of the jet and causing the gaseous crossflow to separate near the edges of the liquid jet thus preventing further deformation before the onset of breakup. It was also found out that in shear breakup regime, the liquid phase velocity inside the liquid jet was large enough to cause onset of ligament formation along the jet side, which was not the case in the column and bag breakup regimes. In bag breakup, downwind surface waves were observed to grow along the sides of the liquid jet triggered a complimentary experimental study that confirmed the existence of those waves for the first time.


2020 ◽  
Vol 501 (2) ◽  
pp. 2305-2315
Author(s):  
Alice Zurlo ◽  
Lucas A Cieza ◽  
Megan Ansdell ◽  
Valentin Christiaens ◽  
Sebastián Pérez ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT We present results from a near-infrared (NIR) adaptive optics (AO) survey of pre-main-sequence stars in the Lupus molecular cloud with NACO at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) to identify (sub)stellar companions down to ∼20-au separation and investigate the effects of multiplicity on circumstellar disc properties. We observe for the first time in the NIR with AO a total of 47 targets and complement our observations with archival data for another 58 objects previously observed with the same instrument. All 105 targets have millimetre Atacama Large Millimetre/sub-millimetre Array (ALMA) data available, which provide constraints on disc masses and sizes. We identify a total of 13 multiple systems, including 11 doubles and 2 triples. In agreement with previous studies, we find that the most massive (Mdust &gt; 50 M⊕) and largest (Rdust &gt; 70 au) discs are only seen around stars lacking visual companions (with separations of 20–4800 au) and that primaries tend to host more massive discs than secondaries. However, as recently shown in a very similar study of &gt;200 PMS stars in the Ophiuchus molecular cloud, the distributions of disc masses and sizes are similar for single and multiple systems for Mdust &lt; 50 M⊕ and radii Rdust &lt; 70 au. Such discs correspond to ∼80–90 per cent of the sample. This result can be seen in the combined sample of Lupus and Ophiuchus objects, which now includes more than 300 targets with ALMA imaging and NIR AO data, and implies that stellar companions with separations &gt;20 au mostly affect discs in the upper 10${{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of the disc mass and size distributions.


1993 ◽  
Vol 318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Navid S. Fatemi ◽  
Victor G. Weizer

ABSTRACTNear-theoretical-minimum values of specific contact resistivity, ρc (in the mid-to-low E-8 Ω-cm2 range) have been achieved for Ni-based contacts to moderately doped (2E18 cm−3) n-type InP. In each case these values are an order of magnitude lower than those previously achieved. These ultra-low resistivities are shown to result when the metallurgical interaction rate between the contact metal and the semiconductor is sufficiently reduced. Several methods of reducing the metal-InP reaction rate and thus achieving lowered resistivity values are demonstrated. We show, for instance, that the introduction of a thin (100Å) Au layer at the metal-InP interface retards metal-semiconductor intermixing during sintering and results in a ten-fold reduction in pc. Another method consists of ensuring the perfection of the near-surface InP lattice prior to and during contact deposition process. Use of this technique has enabled us to fabricate, for the first time, Ni-only contacts with pc values in the low E-8 Ω-cm2 range. We present an explanation for these observations that is based upon the magnitude of the In-to-P atomic ratio at the metal-InP interface.


The Auger recombination rate in indirect semiconductors with zincblende and diamond lattices is investigated, account being taken, for the first time, the properties of overlap integrals near symmetry points and axes. The effect of using theoretically estimated parameters is a reduction of the recombination coefficient by a factor 10. It is explained that the results, and those of the preceding paper, are still subject to uncertainties arising from the band structure so that only the order of magnitude of these coefficients can so far be regarded as known theoretically.


1996 ◽  
Vol 109 (3) ◽  
pp. 687-698 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Pomorski ◽  
P. Muller ◽  
B. Zimmermann ◽  
K. Burger ◽  
P.F. Devaux ◽  
...  

All phospholipids in the plasma membrane of eukaryotic cells are subject to a slow passive transbilayer movement. In addition, aminophospholipids are recognized by the so-called aminophospholipid translocase, and are rapidly moved from the exoplasmic to the cytoplasmic leaflet of the plasma membrane at the expense of ATP hydrolysis. Though these principal pathways of transbilayer movement of phospholipids probably apply to all eukaryotic plasma membranes, studies of the actual kinetics of phospholipid redistribution have been largely confined to non-nucleated cells (erythrocytes). Experiments on nucleated cells are complicated by endocytosis and metabolism of the lipid probes inserted into the plasma membrane. Taking these complicating factors into account, we performed a detailed kinetic study of the transbilayer movement of short-chain fluorescent (N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl); NBD) and, for the first time, spin-labeled analogues of phosphatidylcholine (PC), -ethanolamine (PE), -serine (PS), and sphingomyelin (SM) in the plasma membrane of cultured human gingival fibroblasts. At 20 degrees C, the passive transbilayer diffusion of NBD analogues was very slow, and the choline-containing NBD analogues were internalized predominantly by endocytosis. Spin-labeled analogues of PC and SM showed higher passive transbilayer diffusion rates, and probably entered the cell by both passive transbilayer movement and endocytosis. In contrast, the rapid uptake of NBD- and spin-labeled aminophospholipid analogues could be mainly ascribed to the action of the aminophospholipid translocase, since it was inhibited by ATP depletion and N-ethylmaleimide pretreatment. The initial velocity of NBD-aminophospholipid translocation was eight to ten times slower than that of the corresponding spin-labeled lipid, and the half-times of redistribution of NBD-PS and spin-labeled PS were 7.2 and 3.6 minutes, respectively. Our data indicate that in human fibroblasts the initial velocity of aminophospholipid translocation is at least one order of magnitude higher than that in human erythrocytes, which should be sufficient to maintain the phospholipid asymmetry in the plasma membrane.


Nature ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 353 (6341) ◽  
pp. 234-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Bally ◽  
Marvin Leventhal

2019 ◽  
Vol 623 ◽  
pp. A84 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. Clark ◽  
M. E. Lohr ◽  
L. R. Patrick ◽  
F. Najarro

The Arches is one of the youngest, densest and most massive clusters in the Galaxy. As such it provides a unique insight into the lifecycle of the most massive stars known and the formation and survival of such stellar aggregates in the extreme conditions of the Galactic Centre. In a previous study we presented an initial stellar census for the Arches and in this work we expand upon this, providing new and revised classifications for ∼30% of the 105 spectroscopically identified cluster members as well as distinguishing potential massive runaways. The results of this survey emphasise the homogeneity and co-evality of the Arches and confirm the absence of H-free Wolf-Rayets of WC sub-type and predicted luminosities. The increased depth of our complete dataset also provides significantly better constraints on the main sequence population; with the identification of O9.5 V stars for the first time we now spectroscopically sample stars with initial masses ranging from ∼16 M⊙ to ≥120 M⊙. Indeed, following from our expanded stellar census we might expect ≳50 stars within the Arches to have been born with masses ≳60 M⊙, while all 105 spectroscopically confirmed cluster members are massive enough to leave relativistic remnants upon their demise. Moreover the well defined observational properties of the main sequence cohort will be critical to the construction of an extinction law appropriate for the Galactic Centre and consequently the quantitative analysis of the Arches population and subsequent determination of the cluster initial mass function.


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