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Formation of the methyl cation by photochemistry in a protoplanetary disk.

Authors :: Berné O
Martin-Drumel MA
Schroetter I
Goicoechea JR
Jacovella U
Gans B
Dartois E
Coudert LH
Bergin E
Alarcon F
Cami J
Roueff E
Black JH
Asvany O
Habart E
Peeters E
Canin A
Trahin B
Joblin C
Schlemmer S
Thorwirth S
Cernicharo J
Gerin M
Tielens A
Zannese M
Abergel A
Bernard-Salas J
Boersma C
Bron E
Chown R
Cuadrado S
Dicken D
Elyajouri M
Fuente A
Gordon KD
Issa L
Kannavou O
Khan B
Lacinbala O
Languignon D
Le Gal R
Maragkoudakis A
Meshaka R
Okada Y
Onaka T
Pasquini S
Pound MW
Robberto M
Röllig M
Schefter B
Schirmer T
Sidhu A
Tabone B
Van De Putte D
Vicente S
Wolfire MG
Source :: Nature [Nature] 2023 Sep; Vol. 621 (7977), pp. 56-59. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Jun 26.
Publication Year :: 2023
Abstract: Forty years ago, it was proposed that gas-phase organic chemistry in the interstellar medium can be initiated by the methyl cation CH <subscript>3</subscript> <superscript>+</superscript> (refs. <superscript>1-3</superscript> ), but so far it has not been observed outside the Solar System <superscript>4,5</superscript> . Alternative routes involving processes on grain surfaces have been invoked <superscript>6,7</superscript> . Here we report James Webb Space Telescope observations of CH <subscript>3</subscript> <superscript>+</superscript> in a protoplanetary disk in the Orion star-forming region. We find that gas-phase organic chemistry is activated by ultraviolet irradiation.<br /> (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)