“Carbon Chain Factories” around massive young stellar objects
〜Discovery of a new “Carbon Chain Chemistry” in hot-core regions

Abstract
So far, over 200 molecules such as water and ammonia have been discovered in space; including ones not found naturally on Earth. One group of these molecules, “carbon-chain molecules,” consists of linearly bonded carbon atoms. Carbon is an important element because it is essential for organic molecules, forming the backbone of these molecules. The study of carbon-chain molecules, which consist of many carbon elements, is important for exploring chemical reactions in star forming regions. The Nobeyama 45-m Radio Telescope has played an important role in the study of these carbon-chain molecules. The telescope discovered that carbon-chain molecules can form in both cold environments before stars form and warm regions around low-mass stellar objects. An international research group led by Dr. Kotomi Taniguchi (Gakushuin University) focused on carbon-chain molecules in regions where massive stars more than 8 times the solar mass are formed. This investigation of the environment around a massive star forming region will provide valuable clues to solve the still unresolved enigma of high mass star formation. The team investigated the abundance of the Ethynyl radical (CCH) and Cyanodiacetylene (HC₅N) around massive young stellar objects by using the Nobeyama 45-m Radio Telescope. As a result, they discovered that around massive young stellar objects, carbon-chain molecules form in higher temperature regions than around low-mass objects. This discovery is expected to help us understand chemical reactions around high-mass young stellar objects.

This research is reported in the papers: Taniguchi et al. “Carbon Chain Chemistry in Hot-Core Regions around Three Massive Young Stellar Objects Associated with 6.7 GHz Methanol Masers”, The Astrophysical Journal, 908:100 (12pp), 2021 (doi:10.3847/1538-4357/abd6c9)

Related Links
Nobeyama 45-m Radio Telescope
Revealing the chemical composition and its evolution in high-mass star-forming regions