Phosphorus (P) is the fifth most important biogenic element after H, O, C and N. Chemical compounds containing phosphorus, such as phospholipids and phosphates, are essential for the structure and energy transfer in cells. Despite this, so far P-bearing molecules have been detected only in a few molecular clouds hosting star formation; hence, its interstellar chemistry is almost totally unknown.<br/>Our team has recently detected several new massive star-forming regions in phosphorus nitride, PN, including clouds with relatively low turbulence and low gas temperature (Fig. 1). This poses challenges in theoretical models that invoke either high desorption temperatures or grain sputtering from shocks to release atomic phosphorus into the gas phase. Moreover, our team has detected for the first time the bond P-O, key to the formation of the backbone of the DNA double-helix, in two star-forming regions: W51 e1/e2 and W3(OH). The derived abundances indicate that phosphorus in star-forming regions is more than ten times over-abundant than previously thought. The two studies are telling us that phosphorus is an important and relatively abundant ingredient before the formation of stellar systems.

Phosphorus-bearing molecules in massive star-forming clouds

254th National Meeting (2017)

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