CAB Seminar on Thursday 4th of December at 12:00 (CET) by Miguel Sanz-Novo (CAB)

[Comisión de Seminarios]

 

 

 

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CAB SEMINARS

A journey toward the limits of interstellar chemical complexity: A synergetic laboratory, theoretical and observational study

 

Miguel Sanz-Novo (CAB)

Thursday, 4th December 2025, 12:00 (CET) (Auditorio/Zoom)

 

The rate of new detections in the interstellar medium (ISM) has skyrocketed in recent years, to the point that more than one third of all known interstellar molecules have been discovered in just the past lustrum. These advances have been enabled by the synergy between high-resolution laboratory spectroscopy, high-level quantum-chemical calculations, and new ultradeep molecular line surveys. In this context, two astronomical sources stand out above the rest: the cold dark cloud TMC-1 and the molecular cloud G+0.693-0.027. The latter, a shock-dominated region located in the Galactic Center (GC), has become an “astronomical mine” for detecting species containing the six key biogenic elements (C, H, O, N, S, and P), leading to 25 first detections to date.

In this seminar, I will take you on a journey through some of the most exciting recent interstellar discoveries, with a focus on those achieved toward G+0.693-0.027. Along the way, we will explore the astrochemical implications of detecting molecules ranging from small cationic and neutral tetratomic species such as protonated carbonyl sulfide (HOCS+) and thionylimide (HNSO) -the first interstellar molecule simultaneously containing N, S, and O-, to more complex molecules such as carbonic acid (HOCOOH) -the third carboxylic acid detected in the ISM-, the first interstellar glycine isomer identified in space, glycolamide, and dimethyl sulfide (CH3SCH3, DMS), the dominant volatile organic sulfur compound in Earth’s oceans and previously considered a robust biomarker in exoplanet research.

New observational results suggest that these discoveries likely represent only a small fraction of the molecular inventory yet to be identified, perhaps just the tip of the iceberg. Pushing these frontiers further will require a fully harmonized, multidisciplinary approach that integrates laboratory, observational, and theoretical efforts. This will be essential to uncover the actual levels of chemical complexity in the ISM and to understand how widespread the basic prebiotic ingredients for life might be in space. 

 

Join zoom meeting at: https://rediris.zoom.us/j/85134397594?pwd=Sms4OUdSWmdocGh3R1dwU1NJaWk2Zz09

Meeting ID: 851 3439 7594
Passcode: 125143

Previous seminars can be found at CAB YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/CentrodeAstrobiologia

 

A full list of seminars in our webpage: https://cab.inta-csic.es/formacion/seminarios

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