Objective
Recent observations show the presence of a warm and chemically rich gas toward the low mass protester IRAS 16293-2422. This first detection has confirmed the presence of a Hot Core region around this object, characterized by chemistry abundant in reiterated species and in complex O and N-bearing molecules. For decades, Hot Cores were only attributed to massive protesters; warm enough to evaporate the mantles of the grains, and to enrich chemically their environment. The discovery of a Hot Core around a low mass protester gives rise to many questions regarding the processes responsible for such a particular chemical composition. These objects represent another challenge to understand the roles of gas phase and grain surface chemistry in the deputation process and in the creation of complex species. The detection of a Hot Core toward a Sun-like star shows that our solar system went through a similar chemically rich phase billions of years ago, as suggested the presence of amino acids in meteorites and comets. Therefore, low mass Hot Cores represent a perfect laboratory to reconstruct the past of our Solar System and to probe the beginning of life on Earth. This research project proposes a theoretical and observational study of low mass Hot Cores. A model developed by P. Camellia et al. (1993), which describes high mass Hot Cores chemistry, will be adapted to the astrophysical and chemical conditions of low mass Hot Cores. This model will be implemented with deputation processes and with chemical reactions that lead to the observed complex chemistry. Several observations are already planned to investigate other low mass Hot Cores and to assess their chemistry. Our model, constrained by our observational results, will give some predictions for further observations and allows us to improve upon our observational strategy.
Call for proposal
FP6-2002-MOBILITY-5
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Funding Scheme
EIF - Marie Curie actions-Intra-European FellowshipsCoordinator
Firenze
Italy
