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The Detection of Hot Cores and Complex Organic Molecules in the Large Magellanic CloudWe report the first extragalactic detection of the complex organic molecules (COMs) dimethyl ether (CH3OCH3) and methyl formate (CH3OCHO) with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). These COMs, together with their parent species methanol (CH3OH), were detected toward two 1.3 mm continuum sources in the N 113 star-forming region in the low-metallicity Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Rotational temperatures (T(rot)~ 130 K) and total column densities (N(rot) ~ 10(exp 16) per sq. cm) have been calculated for each source based on multiple transitions of CH3OH. We present the ALMA molecular emission maps for COMs and measured abundances for all detected species. The physical and chemical properties of two sources with COMs detection, and the association with H2O and OH maser emission, indicate that they are hot cores. The fractional abundances of COMs scaled by a factor of 2.5 to account for the lower metallicity in the LMC are comparable to those found at the lower end of the range in Galactic hot cores. Our results have important implications for studies of organic chemistry at higher redshift.
Document ID
20205000512
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Accepted Manuscript (Version with final changes)
Authors
Marta Sewilo ORCID
(Goddard Space Flight Center)
Remy Indebetouw ORCID
(University of Virginia)
Steven B. Charnley ORCID
(Goddard Space Flight Center)
Sarolta Zahorecz ORCID
(Osaka Prefecture University)
Joana M. Oliveira ORCID
(Lennard-Jones Laboratories, Keele University)
Jacco Th. van Loon ORCID
(Lennard-Jones Laboratories, Keele University)
Jacob L. Ward
(Universitäts-HNO-Klinik Heidelberg Heidelberg, Germany)
C. H. Rosie Chen ORCID
(Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie)
Jennifer Wiseman ORCID
(Goddard Space Flight Center)
Yasuo Fukui
(Nagoya University)
Akiko Kawamura ORCID
(National Astronomical Observatory of Japan)
Margaret Meixner
(Space Telescope Science Institute)
Toshikazu Onishi ORCID
(Osaka Prefecture University)
Peter Schilke ORCID
(University of Cologne Cologne, Germany)
Date Acquired
April 6, 2020
Publication Date
January 30, 2018
Publication Information
Publication: Astrophysical Journal Letters
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Volume: 853
Issue: 2
Issue Publication Date: February 1, 2018
ISSN: 2041-8205
e-ISSN: 2041-8213
Subject Category
Space Sciences (General)
Funding Number(s)
WBS: 811073
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAOJ 2016- 03B
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSF 1312902
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Use by or on behalf of the US Gov. Permitted.
Technical Review
External Peer Committee
Keywords
astrochemistry – galaxies: star formation – Magellanic Clouds – stars: protostars
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