protostar Archives

IRAS 15398 JWST NIRSpec spectrum (Program ID 1854, PI: M. McClure), NIRSpec Prism spectrum (Program ID 6161, PI: K. Slavicinska), and MIRI-MRS spectrum (Program ID 2151, PI: Y.-L. Yang) with the radiative transfer model spectrum extracted in a 1” diameter overlaid in black. Data points which hit the noise floor from the G395H and Prism data were removed. A spectrum zoomed in to the NIR CO2 and CO absorption is shown in Appendix E. -- astro-ph.SR

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

CORINOS V: Radiative Transfer Effects In Protostellar Ice Observations

by Keith CowingMay 2, 2026May 2, 2026

Recent observations of protostars with the James Webb Space Telescope have revealed unprecedented chemical complexity from their ice absorption features.

Artistic scheme of the VLA 4A/4B binary system, not in scale. Methanol and water absorption features originate from gas located in front of the dust photosphere at 26 µm, which is likely driven by VLA 4B (see text). The photosphere size and location is not certain, but the absorption selectively probes only a layer of sublimated ice, rather than the full bulk envelope, in a location where methanol may desorb more efficiently than water. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

High-resolution mid-IR Spectroscopy of SVS 13-A with EXES/SOFIA: The Surprisingly High CH3OH/H2O Ratio In The Planet-forming Zone Of A Solar Mass Protostar

by Keith CowingMarch 24, 2026March 24, 2026

Water and methanol are key components of interstellar ices and gas in star- and planet-forming regions, but direct observations of water in low-mass protostars are challenging due to atmospheric absorption.

CH3OH/H2O column density ratio found in the literature for a wide range of clouds, YSOs and Solar System comets (see Sect 4.1 for the references). The values for molecular clouds, LYSOs and MYSOs reflect the ice composition, while the ratio was measured in the gas-phase for protoplanetary disks and comets. We used open symbols for the protoplanetary disks in which the upper/lower limit on the methanol-to-water column density ratio was estimated combining measurements taken at different wavelength ranges. The upward triangles for the HD 100546 and the IRS 48 disks indicate a lower limit, whereas the downward triangles for DG Tau A and HL Tau indicate a upper limit. The values for HL Tau are taken dividing the 3σ upper limit on the NCH3OH for the three different assumed excitation temperature in Table 2 for the water column density measured by Facchini et al. (2024). -- astro-ph.SR

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

Hunting For Methanol In The Water Rich, Planet Forming Disk Aaround HL Tau

by Keith CowingMarch 13, 2026March 13, 2026

Methanol, the simplest complex organic molecule found in space, is considered a key compound necessary for the formation of chemical species of prebiotic interest. Methanol detections in protoplanetary disks remain […]

B335 intensity map at 8 µm using the JWST MIRI-MRS spectrograph data. Small circles denote the 1.53′′ apertures, big circle denotes the 4.59′′ aperture. The center coordinates of chosen apertures are listed in Table 2. -- astro-ph.SR

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Icy Worlds, Status Report

Infrared Spectra Of Methane-containing Ice Mixtures For JWST Data Analysis

by Keith CowingFebruary 19, 2026February 19, 2026

Context. Solid methane (CH4) is an important molecule in interstellar and planetary environments, serving as a precursor to complex organic compounds and a potential biosignature in exoplanetary studies. Despite its […]

Intensity maps at 4.4 µm with the apertures chosen for the fit. Aperture centers and diameters are listed in Table C.1. -- astro-ph.GA

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

Identification Of Solid N2O In Interstellar Ices Using Open JWST Data

by Keith CowingJanuary 16, 2026January 16, 2026

Context. There are only six molecules containing N-O bond that are detected in gaseous phase in interstellar medium. One of those is nitrous oxide (N2O), which was searched for but […]

The sketch of the protostellar core adopted in this model, including a central source characterised by the bolometric luminosity (L∗) and the stellar temperature (T∗). The inner zone is characterised by the sublimation threshold of dust grains (Tsub) and the threshold radius (rthreshold). The thin shell of hot dust is determined by the shell temperature (Tshell) and its radius (Rshell). The outer region is given by the outer radius (rout). -- astro-ph.GA

Astrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release

One-dimensional And Time-dependent Modelling Of Complex Organic Molecules In Protostars

by Keith CowingJanuary 6, 2026January 6, 2026

Complex organic molecules (COMs), the building blocks of life, have been extensively detected under various physical conditions, from quiescent clouds to star-forming regions.

Optical depth spectra of the YSOs in our sample, shifted vertically for clarity. For illustration purposes, the red lines correspond to a linear combination of four ice mixtures selected from LIDA (3000 monolayers of pure H2O at a temperature of 15 K, H2O:CO2 in the ratio 10:1 at 10 K, CO:CO2 in the ratio 2:1 at 15 K, and pure OCS at 17 K) and provide a reasonable fit to the observations. The corresponding column densities are listed in Table 4. The legend at the top of each panel indicates the ice features discussed in the text and the corresponding wavelengths, to guide the eye. -- astro-ph.GA

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

First Detection Of Ices In Intermediate-mass Young Stellar Objects Beyond The Milky Way

by Keith CowingSeptember 27, 2025September 27, 2025

Using NIRSpec on JWST, we studied a sample of 15 intermediate-mass (1.8-4.1 Msun) young stellar objects (YSOs) previously identified with MIRI photometry in the low-metallicity NGC 346 star-forming cluster in […]

NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has provided a fantastic new view of IRAS 04302+2247, a planet-forming disc located about 525 light-years away in a dark cloud within the Taurus star-forming region. Larger image

Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Interstellar, Status Report

Watching Planet Formation In The IRAS 04302+2247 Disc

by Keith CowingSeptember 8, 2025September 8, 2025

With Webb, researchers can study the properties and growth of dust grains within protoplanetary discs like this one, shedding light on the earliest stages of planet formation.

Cartoon showing different components of a protostellar system. The ices are thought to form in layers with different molecules at different temperatures and densities (see review by Herbst and van Dishoeck 2009). Although JWST has detected COMs in ices, it is still under debate in which layer and at what stage of star formation they form. The icy dust grains and the gas in the envelope gets accreted onto the disk and eventually onto the planetesimals or comets that may be forming there. -- astro-ph.GA

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

Overview Of Complex Organic Molecule Observations In Protostellar Systems

by Keith CowingAugust 22, 2025August 22, 2025

Complex organic molecules (COMs) have been detected abundantly at various stages of star formation, particularly in the warm protostellar phase.

This artist’s impression shows the planet-forming disc around the star V883 Orionis. In the outermost part of the disc, volatile gases are frozen out as ice, which contains complex organic molecules. An outburst of energy from the star heats the inner disc to a temperature that evaporates the ice and releases the complex molecules, enabling astronomers to detect it. The inset image shows the chemical structure of complex organic molecules detected and presumed in the protoplanetary disc (from left to right): propionitrile (ethyl cyanide), glycolonitrile, alanine, glycine, ethylene glycol, and acetonitrile (methyl cyanide). Credit ESO/L. Calçada/T. Müller (MPIA/HdA)

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Interstellar, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release

The Evolution Of Life May Have Its Origins In Outer Space

by Keith CowingJuly 25, 2025July 25, 2025

Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), a team of astronomers led by Abubakar Fadul from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) has discovered complex organic molecules – including […]

protostar

CORINOS V: Radiative Transfer Effects In Protostellar Ice Observations

High-resolution mid-IR Spectroscopy of SVS 13-A with EXES/SOFIA: The Surprisingly High CH3OH/H2O Ratio In The Planet-forming Zone Of A Solar Mass Protostar

Hunting For Methanol In The Water Rich, Planet Forming Disk Aaround HL Tau

Infrared Spectra Of Methane-containing Ice Mixtures For JWST Data Analysis

Identification Of Solid N2O In Interstellar Ices Using Open JWST Data

One-dimensional And Time-dependent Modelling Of Complex Organic Molecules In Protostars

First Detection Of Ices In Intermediate-mass Young Stellar Objects Beyond The Milky Way

Watching Planet Formation In The IRAS 04302+2247 Disc

Overview Of Complex Organic Molecule Observations In Protostellar Systems

The Evolution Of Life May Have Its Origins In Outer Space

Astrobiologist Dale Andersen’s Antarctic Field Report: 14 November 2026: Setting Up Lab and Dive Tents

Testing The Hypothesis, ‘Planetary Protection Is Expensive’ From The ESA Perspective

Tracing Galactic Dust Reddening with Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Emission: SPHEREx Observations of the North Ecliptic Pole

Signatures of CH4 and NH3 in the Atmosphere of β Pictoris b

Hydrolyzed Hazes on Water-rich Exoplanets: Composition and Prebiotic Chemistry