Frontiers of chemical complexity in the interstellar medium: unveiling the cosmic origins of life
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: The interstellar medium (ISM) contains a rich molecular inventory that provides a unique window into the chemistry operating during star and planet formation and its connection to prebiotic chemistry. More than 350 interstellar molecules are currently known, including increasingly complex organic molecules and species containing elements beyond the second row of the periodic table. Yet the limits that interstellar chemical complexity can reach, its evolution from molecular clouds to planetary systems, and its contribution to the molecular feedstock of life remain poorly constrained. Addressing these questions requires sensitive, broadband observations capable of detecting multiple weak rotational transitions of molecular species, such as amino acids, nucleobases, sugars and lipids, towards star- and planet-forming environments. Current facilities, including ALMA, are limited by instantaneous spectral coverage, sensitivity (especially on extended spatial scales), and the trade-off between total bandwidth and integration time. The proposed ALMA2040 facility would overcome these limitations through at least a tenfold improvement in spectral-line sensitivity, high-fidelity imaging from sub-arcsecond to tens-of-arcsecond scales, and ultra-broad instantaneous frequency coverage from 35 to 950 GHz at high spectral resolution. These capabilities would allow systematic detections of species with molecular abundances with respect to H$_2$ below 10$^{-11}$, facilitating the identification of new complex and heavy-element-bearing species through multiple transitions, and providing complete molecular inventories across evolutionary stages. ALMA2040 would thus make it possible to comprehensively investigate the emergence and evolution of chemical complexity, and to determine whether molecular precursors of prebiotic chemistry are widespread throughout the Galaxy.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Authors: Rivilla, Víctor M., Sanz-Novo, Miguel, Beltrán, Maite, Jørgensen, Jes, Colzi, Laura, Baudry, Alain, Drozdovskaya, Maria, Csengeri, Timea, Maret, Sébastien, Motte, Frederique, Gerin, Maryvonne, Martín, Sergio, Coutens, Audrey, Toci, Claudia, Johnston, Katharine, Klaassen, Pamela, Bianchi, Eleonora, Codella, Claudio, Podio, Linda, Sabatini, Giovanni, de Simone, Marta, Fontani, Francesco, Sánchez-Monge, Álvaro, Jiménez-Serra, Izaskun, Bacmann, Aurore, Fuller, Gary, Schilke, Peter, Küffmeier, Michael, Zeng, Shaoshang, Ginsburg, Adam, McGuire, Brett, García, Pablo, Sakai, Nami, Tanious, Maxime, Assani, Korash, Requena-Torres, Miguel A.
Institutions: Centro de Astrobiología, Max Planck Society, Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory, National Institute for Astrophysics, Université de Bordeaux, University of Bern, Université Grenoble Alpes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Observatoire de Paris, European Southern Observatory, Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, Université de Toulouse, Universidad de Sevilla, University of Lincoln, UK Astronomy Technology Centre, European Southern Observatory, University of Manchester, University of Cologne, RIKEN Pioneering Research Institute, University of Florida, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Universidad Católica del Norte, Chinese Academy of Science South America Center for Astronomy, National Astronomical Observatories, Institute of Space Sciences, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Towson University
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7222457990