M51 Archives - Astrobiology

The galaxy M51 and the cosmic mountain of creation (a star-forming region) seen in the infrared by the Spitzer telescope. The protoplanetary disk HD 98048 (image adapted from Doucet et al, A&A 470, 625–631 (2007). Structure of 2 PAH molecules and of fullerene. -- University of Amsterdam

Dual Use Technology – An Astrochemistry Spin Off

by Keith CowingJuly 6, 2026July 6, 2026

Editor’s note: many of the tools that are used in astronomy to conduct analyses of chemistry in space – astrochemistry – utilize technology that has had long-standing applications in a […]

Left: GO 2433’s F770W map of NGC 891, with the H2 S (1) maps for the four MRS pointings in our study, in colour. The contours in the background and inset images are F770W surface brightnesses. The white cross marks the centre of the galaxy. Right: Total intensity maps for a few key dust features in all observations. The maps are obtained by fitting a 1D model to each pixel independently, and summing the intensities of all sub-features belonging to the same complex. Because the 11.2 µm feature dominates the emission, each map is shown with its own scaling; we focus on the variations within each maps rather than the absolute intensity values. Non-fit pixels, skipped by PAHFIT, are shown in white. -- astro-ph.GA

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

Survival Of Very Small Carbonaceous Dust Grains In The Inner-CGM Of NGC 891 From JWST/MIRI MRS

by Keith CowingMay 28, 2026May 28, 2026

We present new spectroscopic observations of the inner circumgalactic medium (CGM) of NGC 891 taken with the Mid-Infrared Imager/Medium Resolution Spectroscopy instrument onboard JWST, in four positions: two near the […]

Optical Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images of the targets NGC 4321 (top) and M51 (bottom) overlaid with CO, HCN and SFR contours (from left to right). The CO (HCN) contours are drawn at S/N≥ 10, 30, and 60 (1, 3, 10, 30). The SFR contours correspond to the 70th, 85th, and 95th percentiles of the data. The spiral arm masks are indicated as white contours. Background HST image credit: NGC 4321: PHANGS-HST (Lee et al. 2022); M51: NASA, ESA, S. Beckwith (STScI) and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA). -- astro-ph.GA

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report, Stellar Cartography

From Gas To Stars Along The Spiral Wave: CO, HCN, And Star Formation Variations Across The Spiral Arms In NGC 4321 And M51

by Keith CowingMay 9, 2026May 9, 2026

Molecular clouds form stars from the interstellar medium via gravitational collapse, following a sequence from low-density gas to high-density cores and eventually the formation of stars.

Molecular gas mass surface densities Σmol, star formation rate surface densities ΣSFR, stellar mass surface density Σ∗, dynamical equilibrium pressure PDE as well as CO velocity dispersion σCO at 3′′ resolution. We show contours of integrated N2H + emission (0.75, 2,4 K km/s) on top. -- astro-ph.GA

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

The SWAN View Of Dense Gas In the Whirlpool — A Cloud-scale Comparison Of N2H+, HCO+, HNC And HCN Emission In M51

by Keith CowingJuly 30, 2025July 30, 2025

Tracing dense molecular gas, the fuel for star formation, is essential for the understanding of the evolution of molecular clouds and star formation processes.

Portion of the spectra of ortho- (top), meta- (middle), and para- (bottom) deuterated benzonitrile (DBCN) recorded in the 75- 110 GHz range. The experimental spectra are shown in black above the x axis, while the simulated spectra at 300 K (calculated from the rotational parameters) are shown in colors below the x axis. -- astro-ph.GA

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

Low D/H Ratio For Benzonitrile In TMC-1: Implication For The Origin Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In Cold Dark Clouds

by Keith CowingJuly 23, 2025July 23, 2025

Radioastronomical observations have recently discovered PAHs of moderate size (up to 24 carbon atoms) in cold dark clouds, although it is currently unknown whether they are formed in situ through […]

Image of a portion of M51; RGB=F1800W/F1130W/F560W (18µm, 11.3µm, 5.6µm). Areas where we have obtained complete 1 − 28µm spectroscopy are indicated. Expanded cutouts are Brα (4.05µm) images of these areas. Spectra have been extracted for the four r = 0.75′′ circular regions shown in the cutouts. -- astro-ph.GA

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

Detection of Deuterated Hydrocarbon Nanoparticles in the Whirlpool Galaxy, M51

by Keith CowingMay 17, 2025May 17, 2025

Deuteration of hydrocarbon material, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), has been proposed to account for the low gas-phase abundances of D in the interstellar medium.