Theoretical Investigation of Interstellar 3-Pyrroline: Formation, Rotational and Vibrational Spectroscopy

TL;DR

This paper provides a detailed computational study of interstellar 3-pyrroline, including its formation pathways and spectral signatures, to aid future detection in space through radio and infrared observations.

Contribution

It introduces an alternative formation route for 3-pyrroline in cold interstellar environments and offers highly accurate spectral data for its detection.

Findings

3-pyrroline can form on dust grains from vinyl cyanide

Rotational transition at 52.3 GHz is detectable in cold regions

Infrared features at 16.09 μm and 3.50 μm are observable with JWST

Abstract

The recent detection of CN-functionalized aromatics partly addresses the long-standing mystery of the apparent absence of five- and six-membered rings in interstellar environments. N-heterocycles, which are crucial as the fundamental structures of nucleobases, have been a focus of these aromatic searches due to their biological significance. Although N-heterocycles have not been conclusively detected in astrophysical environments, their presence in chondrites and meteorites signifies their interstellar and circumstellar connection. Precise spectral data identifies the unique signatures of molecules, confirming their presence in space. In this light, the present work reports an extensive computational investigation on interstellar 3-pyrroline; a five-membered ring N-heterocycle. This includes an alternative formation route in cold interstellar environments and highly accurate rotational and vibrational spectroscopy. The results indicate that 3-pyrroline can form on dust grain surfaces from vinyl cyanide, as its formation from pyrrole through double hydrogenation may lead to the formation of pyrrole itself via a H$_{2}$ abstraction process. 3-pyrroline's rotational transition at 52.3 GHz offers a potential tool for its detection in cold interstellar regions. Additionally, the strongest infrared features of 3-pyrroline at 16.09 $\mu$m and $\sim$3.50 $\mu$m are observable with JWST. The provided data is crucial for laboratory identification and future interstellar observations of 3-pyrroline at both radio and IR wavelengths.