An international team of scientists has used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to discover a new carbon compound in space for the first time. A molecule known as a methyl cation (pronounced cat’s eye) (CH₃⁺), is important because it contributes to the formation of more complex carbon-based molecules. The methyl cation was discovered in a young star system with a protoplanetary disk known as d203-506, located about 1,350 light-years away in the Orion Nebula.

Carbon compounds form the basis of all known life and are therefore of particular interest to scientists trying to understand how life arose on Earth and could potentially evolve elsewhere in our universe. The study of interstellar organic (carbon) chemistry, which Webb discovered in a new way, is of interest to many astronomers.

Webb’s unique abilities made it the perfect observatory to search for this important molecule. Webb’s excellent spatial and spectral resolution and sensitivity contributed to the team’s success. In particular, Webb’s discovery of a number of important CH emission lines₃⁺ reinforced this discovery.

“This finding not only confirms Webb’s incredible sensitivity, but also confirms the presumed central importance of CH.₃⁺ “In interstellar chemistry,” said Marie-Aline Martin-Drumel, a member of the research team from Paris-Saclay University in France. . Although the star in d203-506 is a small red dwarf, the system is bombarded with strong ultraviolet (UV) light from nearby hot, young, massive stars. Scientists believe that most planet-forming disks undergo such intense periods of ultraviolet radiation because stars tend to form in clusters that often contain large, ultraviolet-emitting stars.

In general, UV radiation is expected to destroy complex organic molecules, and in this case the discovery of CH₃⁺ it may sound surprising. However, the team hypothesizes that UV radiation may actually provide the energy source necessary for CH formation.₃⁺ Once formed, it promotes additional chemical reactions to form more complex carbon molecules.

Overall, the team notes that the molecules they saw in d203-506 are very different from typical protoplanetary disks. Specifically, they were unable to detect signs of water. “This clearly shows that ultraviolet radiation can completely change the chemical composition of the protoplanetary disk. “It can really play a very important role in the early chemical stages of the origin of life,” said Olivier Bernet of the French National Scientific Research Center in Toulouse, lead author of the study.