Possible routes for the Formation of Prebiotic Molecules in the
  Horsehead Nebula
  This article presents the results of a study concerning interstellar
molecules which are useful for the bookkeeping of the organic content of the
universe and for providing a glimpse into prebiotic conditions on Earth and in
other environments in the universe. We explored production channels for
astrobiological relevant nitrogen-bearing cyclic molecules (N-heterocycles), e.
g. pyrrole and pyridine. The present simulations demonstrate how the
exploration of a few possible routes of production of N-heterocycles resulted
in significant abundances for these species. One particularly efficient class
of channels for the production of N-heterocycles incorporates polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as catalysts. Thereby, an exploration of a variety
of production paths should reveal more species to be target of astrophysical
observations.
