Methyl cation (CH3+) detected for the first time in space

The scientists achieved this feat thanks to an analysis that drew on multi-disciplinary expertise, and included key contributions from laboratory spectroscopists.

The methyl cation (CH3+) is a simple molecule with a unique property : it reacts relatively inefficiently with the most abundant element in our universe (hydrogen), but reacts readily with other molecules and thus initiates the growth of more complex carbon-based molecules. Carbon chemistry is of particular interest to astronomers, as all known forms of life are based on carbon.

The vital role of CH3+ in interstellar carbon chemistry was predicted in the 1970s, but it was the unique capabilities of the NASA/ESA/CSA Webb Telescope that finally made it possible to observe it, a fortiori in a region of space where planets capable of supporting life could eventually form.