Title: Chemical Complexity and Evolution of Low-mass Starless and Prestellar Cores in the Taurus Molecular Cloud

Abstract: Before a low-mass (M ≤ few solar masses) star like our Sun is formed, it is conceived inside a cold (~10 K) and dense (> 10^5 cm-3) region of gas and dust known as starless or dynamically evolved prestellar core. It is essential to study the chemical complexity and evolution of prestellar cores because they set the initial conditions of star and planet formation. In recent years, the detection of complex organic molecules (COMs), any molecule with at least one carbon atom and six total atoms, in prestellar cores has sparked interest in the star formation community due to astrochemical and astrobiological implications. We’ve found that COMs are prevalent in the L1495 filamentary region of the Taurus Molecular Cloud, from our survey of 31 starless and prestellar cores, spanning a wide range of evolutionary stages, where we detect methanol (CH3OH) in 100% of the cores targeted and acetaldehyde (CH3CHO) in 68%. Additionally, in the dynamically and chemically young starless core L1521E, also in Taurus, we’ve observed for the first-time the higher complexity species dimethyl ether (CH3OCH3), methyl formate (HCOOCH3) and vinyl cyanide (CH2CHCN), suggesting COMs are forming early and often. In order to understand the mechanisms and conditions needed to form such molecules in prestellar core environments, we need constraints on physical properties, such as central densities, aspect ratios, opacity, and the external radiation field. To do this, we’ve focused on part of the L1495 Taurus region, B10, as it is young and less evolved compared to other regions, with no protostars and thus no significant feedback from surrounding star formation. New high resolution (12’’) dust continuum data as well as grids of 3D radiative transfer models have allowed us to resolve the central plateau region of 10 starless cores embedded in the filamentary structures of B10 and extract out evolutionary parameters. From these models we gain a deeper physical understanding of prestellar cores, including their evolutionary states, which in turn will tell us about the conditions needed for COM chemistry to thrive.