A&A 473, 177-180 (2007)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20077535

A search for pre-biotic molecules in hot cores

E. S. Wirström¹, P. Bergman^{1, 2}, Å. Hjalmarson¹, and A. Nummelin<sup>3

1</sup>  Onsala Space Observatory, Chalmers University of Technology, 43992 Onsala, Sweden
    e-mail: eva@oso.chalmers.se
²  European Southern Observatory, Alonso de Cordova 3107, Vitacura, Casilla 19001 Santiago, Chile
³  Computer science and engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, 41296 Gothenburg, Sweden

(Received 23 March 2007 / Accepted 11 May 2007)

Abstract
Aims.Our aim is to better understand the complex chemistry of organic molecules in the interstellar medium, leading to the formation of pre-biotic molecules such as amino acids.
Methods.We have performed a search for the pre-biotic molecules amino acetonitrile (H₂N CH₂ CN) and vinyl acetylene (C₂H₃ CCH) towards four northern hot core sources using the Onsala 20 m telescope.
Results.We have determined upper limits to the column density of amino acetonitrile (1- cm^-2) and vinyl acetylene (2- cm^-2) in the observed sources. In addition, from the absence of other lines within the observed frequency band, we have further constrained the column density of oxiranecarbonitrile (c-C₃H₃ NO) and amino-ethanol (NH₂ CH₂ CH₂ OH) in these sources.

Key words: ISM: molecules -- astrobiology -- radio lines: ISM -- astrochemistry

© ESO 2007

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