The received signal from a cloud of space alcohol
An international team of astronomers from Australia and China recorded the signals emanating from the cloud of methanol in a neighboring galaxy NGC 4945, which removed almost 12 million light years from Earth. Preprint of article with study results published in the repository arXiv.org.
Clouds act like giant methanol masers sources of coherent microwave radiation. They refer to masers (molecular cloud and region of rarefied gas), whereas the second class is closely associated with young stars.
Due to the radiation of space the alcohol had previously been identified within the milky Way, in regions where the processes of formation of massive stars.
Scientists have found a cloud of methanol in another galaxy using the Australia Telescope Compact Array. The maser is located to the South of the center of NGC 4945 at a distance of 567 light years and is a source of radiation with a frequency of 36.2 GHz (GHz). Its luminosity five orders of magnitude higher than that of other similar masers in this class. It is also 90 times brighter than the microwave radiation detected in the Central molecular zone of the milky way.
Methanol is the simplest Monohydric alcohol, which is known for its poisonous properties. It is a key element of many complex organic compounds.