Mélisse Bonfand — The complex chemistry of young high-mass star forming regions

Interstellar complex organic molecules (COMs) were first detected toward so called hot cores around high-mass protostars. The high temperatures that prevail in these regions boost gas-phase chemical complexity via thermal desorption of the complex species trapped in dust-grain ice-mantles. The COMs detected in the gas-phase are excellent diagnostic tools of the physical conditions of their environment. In this context, the high sensitivity and high angular resolution provided by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is a strong asset to investigate the physical and chemical structure of the envelope of young high-mass protostars. I will present the results from the analysis of two ALMA projects, the 3mm imaging line survey Exploring Molecular Complexity with ALMA (EMoCA) and the Search for high-mass Protostars with ALMA up to Kiloparsec Scales (SPARKS), to show that hot cores exhibit a great diversity in their chemical composition and physical structure. I will also show how by combining observations with astrochemical models we can study the building-up of chemical complexity toward high-mass star forming regions.