The interstellar chemistry of H2C3O isomers

TL;DR

This paper reports the detection of two H2C3O isomers in interstellar space, analyzes their formation processes, and emphasizes the importance of kinetic effects over thermodynamics in their abundance.

Contribution

It provides the first detections of propynal and cyclopropenone in starless cores and discusses the gas-phase reactions governing their interstellar chemistry.

Findings

Detected propynal and cyclopropenone in starless cores

Abundances are governed by kinetic rather than thermodynamic effects

Upper limits set for propadienone

Abstract

We present the detection of two H2C3O isomers, propynal and cyclopropenone, toward various starless cores and molecular clouds, together with upper limits for the third isomer propadienone. We review the processes controlling the abundances of H2C3O isomers in interstellar media showing that the reactions involved are gas-phase ones. We show that the abundances of these species are controlled by kinetic rather than thermodynamic effects.