2003ApJ...593L..51C

While warm dense gas is prevalent around low-mass protostars, the presence of complex saturated molecules–the chemical inventory characteristic of hot cores–has remained elusive in such environments. Here we report the results of an IRAM 30 m study of the molecular composition associated with the low-mass protostar IRAS 16293-2422. Our observations highlight an extremely rich organic inventory in this source with abundant amounts of complex O- and N-bearing molecules such as formic acid, HCOOH, acetaldehyde, CH₃CHO, methyl formate, CH₃OCHO, dimethyl ether, CH₃OCH₃, acetic acid, CH₃COOH, methyl cyanide, CH₃CN, ethyl cyanide, C₂H₅CN, and propyne, CH₃CCH. We compare the composition of the hot core around this low-mass young stellar object with those around massive protostars and address the chemical processes involved in molecular complexity in regions of star formation.