The Detection of Interstellar Ethanimine (CH3CHNH) from Observations
  taken during the GBT PRIMOS Survey
  We have performed reaction product screening measurements using broadband
rotational spectroscopy to identify rotational transition matches between
laboratory spectra and the Green Bank Telescope PRIMOS radio astronomy survey
spectra in Sagittarius B2 North (Sgr B2(N)). The broadband rotational spectrum
of molecules created in an electrical discharge of CH3CN and H2S contained
several frequency matches to unidentified features in the PRIMOS survey that
did not have molecular assignments based on standard radio astronomy spectral
catalogs. Several of these transitions are assigned to the E- and Z-isomers of
ethanimine. Global fits of the rotational spectra of these isomers in the range
of 8 to 130 GHz have been performed for both isomers using previously published
mm-wave spectroscopy measurements and the microwave measurements of the current
study. Possible interstellar chemistry formation routes for E-ethanimine and
Z-ethanimine are discussed. The detection of ethanimine is significant because
of its possible role in the formation of alanine - one of the twenty amino
acids in the genetic code.
