New deuterated species in TMC-1: Detection of CH2DC4H with the QUIJOTE line survey

Abstract

We report the first detection in space of the single deuterated isotopologue of methyldiacetylene, CH2DC4H. A total of 12 rotational transitions, with J = 8–12 and Ka = 0 and 1, were identified for this species in TMC-1 in the 31.0–50.4 GHz range using the Yebes 40m radio telescope. The observed frequencies allowed us to obtain, for the first time, the spectroscopic parameters of this deuterated isotopologue. We derived a column density of (5.5 ± 0.2) × 1011 cm−2. The abundance ratio between CH3C4H and CH2DC4H is 24 ± 2. This ratio is similar to that found for the CH3C3N/CH2DC3N analogue system, which is 22 ± 2. We did not detect the deuterated species CH3C4D, which has already been observed in laboratory experiments. The detection of deuterated CH3C4H allows us to extend the discussion on the chemical mechanisms of deuterium fractionation at work in TMC-1 using a new gas-phase chemical model with multiply deuterated molecules. Introducing a possible deuterium exchange reaction between CH3CCH and atomic deuterium allows us to account for the CH3C4H/CH2DC4H abundance ratio.