Free Astronomy Magazine September-October 2023

45 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2023 ASTRO PUBLISHING planet-forming disks go through a period of such intense UV radiation, since stars tend to form in groups that often include massive, UV-pro- ducing stars. Typically, UV radiation is expected to destroy complex organic molecules, in which case the discovery of CH 3 + might seem to be a surprise. How- ever, the team predicts that UV radi- ation might actually provide the necessary source of energy for CH 3 + to form in the first place. Once formed, it then promotes additional chemical reactions to build more complex carbon molecules. Broadly, the team notes that the molecules they see in d203-506 are quite different from typical proto- planetary disks. In particular, they could not detect any signs of water. “This clearly shows that ultraviolet radiation can completely change the chemistry of a protoplanetary disk. It might actually play a critical role in the early chemical stages of the origins of life,” elaborated Olivier Berné of the French National Centre for Scientific Research in Toulouse, lead author of the study. ! MIRI Mid-Infrared MIRI and NIRCam