The Molecular Inventory of TMC-1 with GOTHAM Observations
Name
Xue_2025_ApJS_281_9.pdf
Description
Published version
Size
3.67 MB
Format
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Checksum (MD5)
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Author(s)
Xue, Ci
Byrne, Alex N
Morgan, Larry
Wenzel, Gabi
Changala, P Bryan
Fried, Zachary TP
Loomis, Ryan A
Remijan, Anthony
Bergin, Edwin A
Cooke, Ilsa R
Date Issued
October 23, 2025
Journal
The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
Publisher
American Astronomical Society
Citation
Ci Xue et al 2025 ApJS 281 9
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Spectral line surveys of the Taurus Molecular Cloud-1 (TMC-1) have led to the detection of more than 100 new molecular species, making it the most prolific source of interstellar molecular discoveries. These wide-band, high-sensitivity line surveys have been enabled by advances in telescope and receiver technology, particularly at centimeter and millimeter wavelengths. In this work, we present a statistical analysis of the molecular inventory of TMC-1 as probed by the GOTHAM large program survey from 3.9 to 36.4 GHz. To fully unlock the potential of the ∼29 GHz spectral bandwidth, we developed an automated pipeline for data reduction and calibration. We applied a Bayesian approach with Markov Chain Monte Carlo fitting to the calibrated spectra and constrained column densities for 102 molecular species detected in TMC-1, including 75 main isotopic species, 20 carbon-13 substituted species, and seven deuterium-substituted species. This list of the detected gas-phase molecules is populated by unsaturated hydrocarbons, in stark contrast to the oxygen-rich organics found in sublimated ices around protostars. Of note, 10 individual aromatic molecules were identified in the GOTHAM observations, contributing 0.011% of the gas-phase carbon budget probed by detected molecules when including CO and 6% when excluding CO. This work provides a reference set of observed gas-phase molecular abundances for interstellar clouds, offering a new benchmark for astrochemical theoretical models.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Chemistry
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4365/ae04e5
