Detection of the cyanomidyl radical (HNCN): a new interstellar species with the NCN backbone. (arXiv:2106.09652v1 [astro-ph.GA])
<a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Rivilla_V/0/1/0/all/0/1">V. M. Rivilla</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Jimenez_Serra_I/0/1/0/all/0/1">I. Jiménez-Serra</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Concepcion_J/0/1/0/all/0/1">J. García de la Concepción</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Martin_Pintado_J/0/1/0/all/0/1">J. Martín-Pintado</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Colzi_L/0/1/0/all/0/1">L. Colzi</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Rodriguez_Almeida_L/0/1/0/all/0/1">L. F. Rodríguez-Almeida</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Tercero_B/0/1/0/all/0/1">B. Tercero</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Rico_Villas_F/0/1/0/all/0/1">F. Rico-Villas</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Zeng_S/0/1/0/all/0/1">S. Zeng</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Martin_S/0/1/0/all/0/1">S. Martín</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Requena_Torres_M/0/1/0/all/0/1">M. A. Requena-Torres</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Vicente_P/0/1/0/all/0/1">P. de Vicente</a>
We report here the first detection in the interstellar medium of the
cyanomidyl radical (HNCN). Using the Yebes 40m and the IRAM 30m telescopes, we
have targeted the doublets of the $N$=2$-$1, 4$-$3, 5$-$4, 6$-$5, and 7$-$6
transitions of HNCN toward the molecular cloud G+0.693-0.027. We have detected
three unblended lines of HNCN, these are the $N$=6$-$5 doublet and one line of
the $N$=4$-$3 transition. Additionally we present one line of the $N$=5$-$4
transition partially blended with emission from other species. The Local
Thermodynamic Equilibrium best fit to the data gives a molecular abundance of
(0.91$pm$0.05)$times$10$^{-10}$ with respect to H$_2$. The relatively low
abundance of this species in G+0.693-0.027, and its high reactivity, suggest
that HNCN is possibly produced by gas-phase chemistry. Our work shows that this
highly reactive molecule is present in interstellar space, and thus it
represents a plausible precursor of larger prebiotic molecules with the NCN
backbone such as cyanamide (NH$_2$CN), carbodiimide (HNCNH) and formamidine
(NH$_2$CHNH).
We report here the first detection in the interstellar medium of the
cyanomidyl radical (HNCN). Using the Yebes 40m and the IRAM 30m telescopes, we
have targeted the doublets of the $N$=2$-$1, 4$-$3, 5$-$4, 6$-$5, and 7$-$6
transitions of HNCN toward the molecular cloud G+0.693-0.027. We have detected
three unblended lines of HNCN, these are the $N$=6$-$5 doublet and one line of
the $N$=4$-$3 transition. Additionally we present one line of the $N$=5$-$4
transition partially blended with emission from other species. The Local
Thermodynamic Equilibrium best fit to the data gives a molecular abundance of
(0.91$pm$0.05)$times$10$^{-10}$ with respect to H$_2$. The relatively low
abundance of this species in G+0.693-0.027, and its high reactivity, suggest
that HNCN is possibly produced by gas-phase chemistry. Our work shows that this
highly reactive molecule is present in interstellar space, and thus it
represents a plausible precursor of larger prebiotic molecules with the NCN
backbone such as cyanamide (NH$_2$CN), carbodiimide (HNCNH) and formamidine
(NH$_2$CHNH).
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