Hydrogenation of interstellar molecules: A survey for methylenimine (CH2NH)

Methylenimine (CH2NH) has been convincingly detected for the first time outside the Galactic center as part of a study of the hydrogenation of interstellar molecules. We have observed transitions from energy levels up to about 100 K above the ground state in the giant molecular clouds W51, Orion KL and G34.3+0.15. In addition, CH2NH was found at the ''radical-ion peak'' on the quiescent ridge of material in the Orion molecular cloud. The abundance ratio CH2NH/HCN at the radical-ion peak agrees with the predictions of recent gas-phase chemical models. This ratio is an order of magnitude higher in the warmer cloud cores, suggesting additional production pathways for CH2NH, probably on interstellar grains.