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Title: INVESTIGATING THE MINIMUM ENERGY PRINCIPLE IN SEARCHES FOR NEW MOLECULAR SPECIES—THE CASE OF H{sub 2}C{sub 3}O ISOMERS

Abstract

Recently, Lattelais et al. have interpreted aggregated observations of molecular isomers to suggest that there exists a ''minimum energy principle'', such that molecular formation will favor more stable molecular isomers for thermodynamic reasons. To test the predictive power of this principle, we have fully characterized the spectra of the three isomers of C{sub 3}H{sub 2}O toward the well-known molecular region Sgr B2(N). Evidence for the detection of the isomers cyclopropenone (c-C{sub 3}H{sub 2}O) and propynal (HCCCHO) is presented, along with evidence for the non-detection of the lowest zero-point energy isomer, propadienone (CH{sub 2}CCO). We interpret these observations as evidence that chemical formation pathways, which may be under kinetic control, have a more pronounced effect on final isomer abundances than thermodynamic effects such as the minimum energy principle.

Authors:
 [1]; ;  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [6]
  1. Department of Astronomy, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)
  2. National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Charlottesville, VA 22904 (United States)
  3. Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904 (United States)
  4. Breck School, Golden Valley, MN 55422 (United States)
  5. Department of Natural Sciences, Dalton State, Dalton, GA 30720 (United States)
  6. Department of Astronomy, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22364523
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 799; Journal Issue: 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; 79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; ABUNDANCE; CLOUDS; CONTROL; DETECTION; ISOMERS; MOLECULES; PROPYNE; THERMODYNAMICS

Citation Formats

Loomis, Ryan A., McGuire, Brett A., Remijan, Anthony J., Shingledecker, Christopher, Johnson, Chelen H., Blair, Samantha, and Robertson, Amy. INVESTIGATING THE MINIMUM ENERGY PRINCIPLE IN SEARCHES FOR NEW MOLECULAR SPECIES—THE CASE OF H{sub 2}C{sub 3}O ISOMERS. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/799/1/34.
Loomis, Ryan A., McGuire, Brett A., Remijan, Anthony J., Shingledecker, Christopher, Johnson, Chelen H., Blair, Samantha, & Robertson, Amy. INVESTIGATING THE MINIMUM ENERGY PRINCIPLE IN SEARCHES FOR NEW MOLECULAR SPECIES—THE CASE OF H{sub 2}C{sub 3}O ISOMERS. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/799/1/34
Loomis, Ryan A., McGuire, Brett A., Remijan, Anthony J., Shingledecker, Christopher, Johnson, Chelen H., Blair, Samantha, and Robertson, Amy. 2015. "INVESTIGATING THE MINIMUM ENERGY PRINCIPLE IN SEARCHES FOR NEW MOLECULAR SPECIES—THE CASE OF H{sub 2}C{sub 3}O ISOMERS". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/799/1/34.
@article{osti_22364523,
title = {INVESTIGATING THE MINIMUM ENERGY PRINCIPLE IN SEARCHES FOR NEW MOLECULAR SPECIES—THE CASE OF H{sub 2}C{sub 3}O ISOMERS},
author = {Loomis, Ryan A. and McGuire, Brett A. and Remijan, Anthony J. and Shingledecker, Christopher and Johnson, Chelen H. and Blair, Samantha and Robertson, Amy},
abstractNote = {Recently, Lattelais et al. have interpreted aggregated observations of molecular isomers to suggest that there exists a ''minimum energy principle'', such that molecular formation will favor more stable molecular isomers for thermodynamic reasons. To test the predictive power of this principle, we have fully characterized the spectra of the three isomers of C{sub 3}H{sub 2}O toward the well-known molecular region Sgr B2(N). Evidence for the detection of the isomers cyclopropenone (c-C{sub 3}H{sub 2}O) and propynal (HCCCHO) is presented, along with evidence for the non-detection of the lowest zero-point energy isomer, propadienone (CH{sub 2}CCO). We interpret these observations as evidence that chemical formation pathways, which may be under kinetic control, have a more pronounced effect on final isomer abundances than thermodynamic effects such as the minimum energy principle.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/799/1/34},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22364523}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal},
issn = {0004-637X},
number = 1,
volume = 799,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jan 20 00:00:00 EST 2015},
month = {Tue Jan 20 00:00:00 EST 2015}
}