research
The Less Stable Isomer Appears Between the Stars
A 150-gigahertz-wide survey reports the first interstellar detection of protonated isocyanic acid HNCOH+ toward a Galactic-center molecular cloud.
Summary
A 150-gigahertz-wide survey reports the first interstellar detection of protonated isocyanic acid HNCOH+ toward a Galactic-center molecular cloud.
Only a handful of the roughly 350 known interstellar molecules contain the isocyanate group associated with peptide-bond chemistry. Using Yebes, IRAM and APEX observations spanning nearly 150 gigahertz, researchers report the first detection of HNCOH+ in the cloud G+0.693-0.027, with a column density of 9.9 times 10^12 per square centimeter. Its measured abundance was about 3.8 times that of the more stable protonated isomer, consistent with recent kinetic calculations. Detection broadens the molecular inventory; it is not evidence of proteins or life in the cloud.
Why it matters
A 150-gigahertz-wide survey reports the first interstellar detection of protonated isocyanic acid HNCOH+ toward a Galactic-center molecular cloud.
Limits and context
- Only a handful of the roughly 350 known interstellar molecules contain the isocyanate group associated with peptide-bond chemistry.
- Detection broadens the molecular inventory; it is not evidence of proteins or life in the cloud.
Key claims
A 150-gigahertz-wide survey reports the first interstellar detection of protonated isocyanic acid HNCOH+ toward a Galactic-center molecular cloud.
Qualification: Only a handful of the roughly 350 known interstellar molecules contain the isocyanate group associated with peptide-bond chemistry.
Evidence: source-2026-10-31-016
Sources
- arXiv preprint 2610.39654, original v1arXiv · primary research
Corrections
No corrections have been recorded for this story.