The ALMA-PILS Survey: New insights into the complex chemistry of young stars

Abstract

AbstractUnderstanding how, when and where complex organic and potentially prebiotic molecules are formed is a fundamental goal of astrochemistry. Since its beginning the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has demonstrated its capabilities for studies of the chemistry of solar-type stars. Its high sensitivity and fine spectral and angular resolution makes it possible to study the chemistry of young stars on Solar System scales. We here present an unbiased spectral survey, Protostellar Interferometric Line Survey (PILS), of the astrochemical template source and Class 0 protostellar binary IRAS 16293-2422 using ALMA. The high quality ALMA data have allowed us to detect a wealth of species previously undetected toward solar-type protostars as well as the interstellar medium in general. Also, the data show the presence of numerous rare isotopologues of complex organic molecules and other species: the exact measurements of the abundances of the complex organic molecules and their isotopologues shed new light onto the formation of these species and provide a chemical link between the embedded protostellar stages and the early Solar System.