Figure, Galactic nucleus and hydrocarbon chemistry in IRAS 07251–0248 (IMAGE)
Caption
Galactic nucleus and hydrocarbon chemistry in IRAS 07251–0248. Left: Schematic of the nucleus, showing a very hot central component (dark red), a warm layer with gas-phase molecules (orange-yellow), and a cold envelope with solid-phase molecules (blue-gray). Right: Conceptual illustration of how cosmic rays process carbonaceous grains and PAHs, generating the observed hydrocarbon-rich chemistry. Credit: García Bernete et al. Nature Astronomy, 2026.
Credit
García Bernete et al. Nature Astronomy, 2026.
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