1. 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

2. 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

3. 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.

4. Experimental Setup (with Laser)

5. Methylamine Reaction CH3NH2 + O3  ?????
Significant dark reactions behind pulsed valve
Reduces ozone concentration before photolysis
Chokes valve

6. 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

7. 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.

8. Sorting through lines: attempt 1
Dark Product
Laser Induced Product

9. 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)

10. Ozone and Methylamine- No Laser

11. Band 5

12. Band 6

13. Band 6 Continued

14. Sorting Laser vs. Dark Lines
Frequency
Dark spectrum
not present
308 lines total
172 lines found to be laser induced

15. Laser Induced Lines vs Predicted

16. Close Up

17. 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

18. Potential Candidates for Aminomethanol

19. Potential Candidates for Aminomethanol

20. Conclusion
Data were collected from 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

21. Acknowledgements Widicus Weaver group Special thanks to Elena Jordanov
NASA Astrophysics Research and Analysis Program:  NASA Award  NNX11AI07G
Emory University