Investigation of amino acetonitrile (NH2CH2CN) — a precursor of glycine, in the interstellar medium

• Published in: Canadian journal of physics Vol. 98; no. 3; pp. 243 - 250
• Main Author: Sharma, Mohit K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ottawa NRC Research Press 01.03.2020; Canadian Science Publishing NRC Research Press
• Subjects: Absorption; Acetonitrile; amino acetonitrile; Amino acids; aminoacetonitrile; Dipole moments; Electric dipoles; Electron states; Glycine; Interstellar matter; Investigations; ISM; life in the universe; Mathematical analysis; MIS; molecules; Nitriles; Physics; Rotational states; Transition probabilities; transitions collisionnelles; Velocity gradient; Vibrational states; vie dans l’univers
• ISSN: 0008-4204; 1208-6045
• DOI: 10.1139/cjp-2018-0867

Known values of rotational and centrifugal distortion constants, in conjunction with electric dipole moment, have been used to calculate energies for the ground rotational levels, ground vibrational state, and ground electronic state of amino acetonitrile (NH 2 CH 2 CN), which is of interest for studies of life in the universe. Probabilities for radiative transitions between the rotational levels are also calculated. Such transition probabilities are used in conjunction with scaled values for the collisional rate coefficients for large velocity gradient calculations. A line 1 10 –1 11 at 450.31 MHz is found to show anomalous absorption. Two observed lines 9 09 –8 08 at 80.947 GHz and 12 0,12 –11 0,11 at 107.283 GHz, and another nine lines, 9 18 –8 17 , 7 16 –6 15 , 8 17 –7 16 , 9 19 –8 18 , 10 19 –9 18 , 8 08 –7 07 , 10 0,10 –9 09 , 11 0,11 –10 0,10 , and 7 07 –6 06 , are found to show emission features. There are several other observed lines, which are found weaker than these 11 lines. These 10 additional lines may help in the identification of amino acetonitrile in the interstellar medium.