Detection and Confirmation of Interstellar Acetic Acid

Abstract

We have detected acetic acid (CH 3 COOH) in the Sgr B2 Large Molecule Heimat source using the Berkeley-Illinois-Maryland Association (BIMA) Array and the Caltech Owens Valley Radio Observatory (OVRO) Millimeter Array. With the BIMA array, we initially detected the 8 *,8 -7 *,7 2 A blend near 90.2 GHz. The corresponding line from the E symmetry species was sought but may be blended with a line from another species. Interstellar CH 3 COOH was confirmed using the OVRO array, with which we detected the 9 *,9 -8 *,8 E blend near 100.9 GHz. The corresponding line from the A symmetry species was sought but was found to be blended with the 7 1 -7 0 E line of CH 3 SH. Our CH 3 COOH observations represent the first detection and confirmation of an interstellar molecule using interferometric arrays; all past detections and confirmations of new molecules have been made on the basis of single-element telescope observations. © 1997. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.