Methanol is a key tracer of chemical complexity in planet-forming environments. This study proposes a method to calibrate methanol excitation temperatures under disk conditions using cryogenic flow reactor experiments and millimeter-wave spectroscopy, providing essential data for astrophysical modeling.
Key findings
Methanol excitation temperatures are critical for interpreting ALMA and JWST observations.
The proposed method combines cryogenic flow reactor experiments with millimeter-wave spectroscopy.
The experiments aim to measure rotational level populations of methanol in collisional equilibrium with H2 and He.
The program will provide temperature-dependent collisional rate coefficients for methanol-H2 and methanol-He collisions.
Limitations & open questions
Theoretical calculations of collisional rate coefficients lack direct laboratory validation under astrophysically relevant conditions.
Most calculations are limited to temperatures below 200 K, while inner disk regions reach higher temperatures.