Nascent chemical complexity in prestellar core IRAS 16293E: complex organics and deuterated methanol

TL;DR

This study detects complex organic molecules and deuterated methanol in the prestellar core IRAS 16293E, revealing high deuteration levels and suggesting limited chemical reprocessing during star formation.

Contribution

First detection of COMs and deuterated methanol in IRAS 16293E, providing insights into chemical inheritance in prestellar cores and early star formation stages.

Findings

High deuteration levels similar to protostars and comets.

Limited chemical reprocessing during core collapse.

Comparable molecular ratios across different star-forming regions.

Abstract

Prestellar cores represent early sites of low-mass ($M$ $\leq$ few M$_\odot$) star and planet formation and provide insight into initial chemical conditions of complex organic molecules (COMs). Deuterated COMs trace the degree of molecular inheritance and/or reprocessing, as high deuteration in protostellar systems suggests COMs forming during the prestellar stage when deuteration is enhanced. Within the L1689N molecular cloud, the prestellar core IRAS 16293E sits $90^{"}$ eastward of the chemically-rich IRAS 16293-2422 A and B protostellar system. A unique view of star formation inside a common natal cloud, IRAS 16293A, B, and E all show some of the highest levels of deuteration in the ISM, with a number of D/H ratios $10^{5}$ times higher than Solar. We investigate for the first time the deuteration levels of the simplest COM, methanol (CH$_3$OH), in IRAS 16293E. Using the Arizona Radio Observatory (ARO) 12 m telescope, we target favorable transitions of CH$_2$DOH, CHD$_2$OH, $^{13}$CH$_3$OH, and several higher complexity COMs (including acetaldehyde, CH$_3$CHO, methyl formate, HCOOCH$_3$, and dimethyl ether, CH$_3$OCH$_3$) in the 3 mm band. Follow-up observations with the Yebes 40 m telescope provided additional transitions in the 7 mm (Q-band). We report the first detections of these COMs and deuterated methanol in prestellar core IRAS 16293E and use our observations to calculate excitation temperatures, column densities, and relative abundance ratios. Striking similarities are found between relative molecular ratios and D/H values when comparing IRAS 16293E to the A and B protostars, as well as to a heterogeneous sample of other prestellar cores, protostars, and the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Our results support the idea that there is a limited amount of chemical reprocessing of COMs when prestellar cores collapse and heat-up during the protostellar phase.