The Hot Core around the Low-Mass Protostar IRAS 16293-2422: Scoundrels Rule!

While warm dense gas is prevalent around low-mass protostars, the presence of complex saturated molecules-the chemical inventory characteristic of hot cores-has remained elusive in such environments. Here we report the results of an IRAM 30 m study of the molecular composition associated with the low-mass protostar IRAS 16293-2422. Our observations highlight an extremely rich organic inventory in this source with abundant amounts of complex O- and N-bearing molecules such as formic acid, HCOOH, acetaldehyde, CH3CHO, methyl formate, CH3OCHO, dimethyl ether, CH3OCH3, acetic acid, CH3COOH, methyl cyanide, CH3CN, ethyl cyanide, C2H5CN, and propyne, CH3CCH. We compare the composition of the hot core around this low-mass young stellar object with those around massive protostars and address the chemical processes involved in molecular complexity in regions of star formation.