Searching for Aminomethanol Amongst the Reaction Products of O(1D) Insertion into Methylamine Morgan McCabe, Brian Hays, Carson powers, Sam Zinga, and Susanna Widicus Weaver
Aminomethanol in the ISM Why study aminomethanol? It is predicted to form in the ISM from the reaction of amidogen and hydroxymethyl on ice grain surfaces It is a potential precursor to glycine, the simplest amino acid H2N CH2 OH Aminomethanol Amidogen Hydroxymethyl C OH NH2 O CH2 H2N Aminomethanol Glycine
Studying Aminomethanol on Earth In terrestrial conditions: CH2 OH H2N Aminomethanol Hexamethylenetetramine For our experiment: C H2N O(1D) H CH2 OH Aminomethanol Methylamine Hays B. M., Wehres N., Alligood DePrince B. A., Roy A. L. M., Laas J. C., & Widicus Weaver S. L., Chem. Phys. Lett., 630, 18-26, 2015.
Experimental Setup (with Laser)
Methylamine Reaction CH3NH2 + O3 ????? Significant dark reactions behind pulsed valve Reduces ozone concentration before photolysis Chokes valve
Mixing Block O3 CH3NH2 For methylamine + O(1D) experiment Gases mixed after valve and before fused silica tube Consists of: 2 pulsed valves 1 mixing block 1 Fused silica tube O3 CH3NH2
Methylamine + O(1D) Spectra and Products After sorting through 160 GHz of data 308 lines were due to unknown products Both dark and laser induced.
Sorting through lines: attempt 1 Dark Product Laser Induced Product
Sorting Through Lines: Attempt 2 Taking the dark spectrum AMC Pressure gauge Synth Lock-in Amp Multiplier chain Detector Vacuum pump Gas input (Methylamine and Ozone)
Ozone and Methylamine- No Laser
Band 5
Band 6
Band 6 Continued
Sorting Laser vs. Dark Lines Frequency Dark spectrum 205814.86 not present 207352.608 207384.696 207402.828 207667.74 207668.424 207673.84 207678.52 207686.12 208407.16 208569.05 208682.56 308 lines total 172 lines found to be laser induced
Laser Induced Lines vs Predicted
Close Up
Laser Induced Hyperfine Lines Aminomethanol contains a nitrogen atom, which has a nuclear spin of 1. Thus the best line candidates for aminomethanol are: Laser induced Hyperfine split
Potential Candidates for Aminomethanol
Potential Candidates for Aminomethanol
Conclusion Data were collected from 140-302 GHz for the reaction between methylamine and O(1D) Additional data were collected for the dark reaction between ozone and methylamine to sort out what lines were laser induced Comparing these data sets we found 172 lines were from the laser- induced products The next step: use Autofit to start assignment
Acknowledgements Widicus Weaver group Special thanks to Elena Jordanov NASA Astrophysics Research and Analysis Program: NASA Award NNX11AI07G Emory University