Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Formation of complex molecules in TMC-1

Nature volume 301, pages 402–404 (1983)Cite this article

Abstract

The Taurus molecular cloud 1 (TMC-1) is an interstellar gas cloud which contains a remarkable variety of complex molecules, including members of the cyanopolyyne group [HCzn, n=3,5,7,9] and other, possibly related, species, including C4H, C3H4 and C3N. The cyanopolyynes, which are found in several, different interstellar environments, have a notably high abundance in TMC-1 for such a small cloud and their method of formation has been a considerable problem in gas-phase chemistry. Several authors1–3 have presented schemes for the production of the cyanopolyynes but all these schemes break down under the weight of observational and experimental evidence4. We have reinvestigated the mode of cyanopolyyne formation hi TMC-1 and find that their absolute abundance may be reproduced to within a factor of 3 by a model which uses gas-phase reactions of atomic nitrogen with hydrocarbons to produce them. The observed, spatial displacement of the cyanopolyyne and ammonia peaks5 is readily understood in this model and the abundances of many other molecules are found to be in excellent agreement with observations.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Mitchell, G. F., Huntress, W. T. Jr & Prasad, S. S. Astrophys. J. 233, 102–108 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Schiff, H. I. & Bohme, D. K. Astrophys. J. 232, 740–746 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Winnewisser, G. & Walmsley, C. M. Astrophys. Space Sci. 65, 83–93 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Freeman, A. thesis, Univ. Manchester (1982).

  5. Little, L. T., Riley, P. W., Macdonald, G. H. & Matheson, D. N., Mon. Not. R. astr. Soc. 183, 805–811, (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Tölle, F., Ungerechts, H., Walmsley, C. M., Winnewisser, G. & Churchwell, E. Astr. Astrophys. 95, 143–155 (1981).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Sherwood, W. A. & Wilson, T. L. Astr. Astrophys. 101, 72–78 (1979).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Blitz, L. Scient. Am. 246, 72–80 (1982).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Mann, A. P. C. & Williams, D. A. Nature 283, 721–725 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Evans, N. J. IAU Symp. No. 87, 1–19 (1980).

  11. Snell, R. L. Astrophys. J. Suppl. 45, 121–175 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Guélin, M., Langer, W. D. & Wilson, R. W. Astr. Astrophys. 107, 107–119 (1982).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. Watson, W. D. Ann. Rev. Astr. Astrophys. 16, 585–615 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Black, J. H. & Dalgarno, A. Astrophys. J. Suppl. 34, 405–423 (1976).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. Langer, W. D. Astrophys. J. 206, 699–712 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Huntress, W. T. Jr & Mitchell, G. F. Astrophys. J. 231, 456–467 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Adams, N. G. & Smith, D. Chem. Phys. Lett. 79, 563–567 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Herbst, E., Adams, N. G. & Smith, D. Astrophys. J. (submitted).

  19. Mitchell, G. F., Ginsburg, J. L. & Kuntz, P. J. Astrophys. J. Suppl. 38, 39–68 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Smith, D. & Adams, N. G. Mon. Not. R. astr. Soc. 197, 377–384 (1982).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  21. Brown, J. M. & Thrush, B. A. Trans. Faraday Soc. 63, 630–642 (1967).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Freeman, C. G., Harland, P. W. & McEwen, M. J. Astrophys. Lett. 19, 133–135 (1978).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Green, S. & Herbst, E. Astrophys. J. 229, 121–131 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Prasad, S. S. & Huntress, W. T. Jr, Astrophys. J. Suppl. 43, 1–35 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Snell, R. L., Schloerb, F. P., Young, J. S., Hjalmarson, A. & Friberg, P. Astrophys. J. 244, 45–53 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Benson, P. J. & Myers, P. C. Astrophys. J. Lett. 242, L87–L91 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Brown, R. L. Astrophys. J. Lett. 248, L119–L122 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Allen, M. & Knapp, G. R. Astrophys. J. 225, 843–856 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Linke, R. A. & Goldsmith, P. F. Astrophys. J. 235, 437–451 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Rydbeck, O. E. H. et al. Astrophys. J. Lett. 235, L171–L175 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Turner, B. E. & Zuckerman, B. Astrophys. J. Lett. 225, L75–L79 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Wootten, A., Bozyan, E. P., Garrett, D. B., Loren, R. B. & Snell, R. L. Astrophys. J. 239, 844–854 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Langer, W. D., Schloerb, F. P., Snell, R. L. & Young, J. S. Astrophys. J. Lett. 239, L125–L128 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Friberg, P., Hjalmarson, A. & Irvine, W. M. Astrophys. J. Lett. 241, L99–L103 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Irvine, W. M., Höglund, B., Friberg, P., Askne, P. & Ellder, J. Astrophys. J. Lett. 248, L113–L117 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. MacLeod, J. M., Avery, L. W. & Broten, N. W. Astrophys. J. Lett. 251, L33–L36 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mathematics Department, UMIST, Sackville Street, PO Box 88, Manchester, M60 1QD, UK

    A. Freeman & T. J. Millar

Authors
  1. A. Freeman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. T. J. Millar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Freeman, A., Millar, T. Formation of complex molecules in TMC-1. Nature 301, 402–404 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1038/301402a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/301402a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing