The prebiotic molecular inventory of Serpens SMM1 I. An investigation of the isomers CH$_{3}$NCO and HOCH$_{2}$CN (2012.15672v1)

Abstract: Methyl isocyanate (CH${3}$NCO) and glycolonitrile (HOCH${2}$CN) are isomers and prebiotic molecules that are involved in the formation of peptide structures and the nucleobase adenine, respectively. ALMA observations of the intermediate-mass Class 0 protostar Serpens SMM1-a and ALMA-PILS data of the low-mass Class 0 protostar IRAS~16293B are used. Spectra are analysed with the CASSIS line analysis software package in order to identify and characterise molecules. CH${3}$NCO, HOCH${2}$CN, and various other molecules are detected towards SMM1-a. HOCH${2}$CN is identified in the PILS data towards IRAS~16293B in a spectrum extracted at a half-beam offset position from the peak continuum. CH${3}$NCO and HOCH${2}$CN are equally abundant in SMM1-a at [X]/[CH${3}$OH] of 5.3$\times$10$^{-4}$ and 6.2$\times$10$^{-4}$, respectively. A comparison between SMM1-a and IRAS~16293B shows that HOCH${2}$CN and HNCO are more abundant in the former source, but CH${3}$NCO abundances do not differ significantly. Data from other sources are used to show that the [CH${3}$NCO]/[HNCO] ratio is similar in all these sources within $\sim$10\%. The new detections of CH${3}$NCO and HOCH${2}$CN are additional evidence for a large interstellar reservoir of prebiotic molecules that can contribute to the formation of biomolecules on terrestrial planets. A plausible formation pathway for HOCH${2}$CN is the thermal Strecker-like reaction of CN$^{-}$ with H${2}$CO. The similar [CH${3}$NCO]/[HNCO] ratios indicate that these two species either are chemically related or their formation is affected by physical conditions in the same way. The relatively high abundances of HOCH$_{2}$CN and HNCO in SMM1-a may be explained by a prolonged stage of relatively warm ice mantles, where thermal and energetic processing of HCN in the ice results in the efficient formation of both species.