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The Detection of Hot Cores and Complex Organic Molecules in the Large Magellanic Cloud

Sewiło, Marta; Indebetouw, Remy; Charnley, Steven B.; Zahorecz, Sarolta; Oliveira, Joana M.; Van Loon, Jacco Th.; Ward, Jacob L.; Rosie Chen, C.-H.; Wiseman, Jennifer; Fukui, Yasuo; Kawamura, Akiko; Meixner, Margaret; Onishi, Toshikazu; Schilke, Peter

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Authors

Marta Sewiło

Remy Indebetouw

Steven B. Charnley

Sarolta Zahorecz

Jacob L. Ward

C.-H. Rosie Chen

Jennifer Wiseman

Yasuo Fukui

Akiko Kawamura

Margaret Meixner

Toshikazu Onishi

Peter Schilke



Abstract

We 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 (${T}_{\mathrm{rot}}\sim 130$ K) and total column densities (${N}_{\mathrm{rot}}\sim {10}^{16}$ cm-2) 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.

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Dec 8, 2017
Publication Date Jan 30, 2018
Journal Astrophysical Journal Letters
Print ISSN 2041-8205
Electronic ISSN 2041-8213
Publisher American Astronomical Society
Peer Reviewed Not Peer Reviewed
Volume 853
Issue 2
Article Number L19
Pages L19 -?
DOI https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/aaa079
Keywords astrochemistry, galaxies, star formation, Magellanic Clouds, stars, protostars
Publisher URL http://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/aaa079

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