An observational survey of protoplanetary carbon in young stellar systems across the galaxy

Abstract

High-resolution near-infrared absorption spectroscopy of the rovibrational transitions of carbon monoxide (CO) gas toward young stellar objects (YSOs) enables precise evaluation of carbon and oxygen isotopes in these systems, providing insight into protoplanetary processes [1-6]. Meaningful comparisons can be made between solar system materials and young stellar gas, furthering our understanding of phenomena that could have affected chemistry in the early solar nebula, including CO self-shielding [3,6], supernova enrichment [4], and interplay between ^(12)C^(16)O ice and gas reservoirs [5,6]. Such data also enable the assessment of potential differences in chemical pathways between isolated cores and low-mass binary systems separated within a few hundred AU [5].

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