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Encyclopedia of Astrobiology pp 1Cite as

Dimethyl Ether

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Synonyms

CH3OCH3 ; Methoxymethane (IUPAC name)

Definition

Under standard conditions, dimethyl ether, the simplest ether, is a colorless gas. It is used in various chemical syntheses and as an aerosol propellant. Radio astronomers have found that dimethyl ether is commonly present in hot cores, the dense and warm regions of molecular clouds where massive stars are forming.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, Lederle Graduate Research Tower B 619E, 710 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA, 01003-9305, USA

    William M. Irvine

Authors
  1. William M. Irvine
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Correspondence to William M. Irvine .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Amils

  2. Labo. d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux (LAB), Observatoire Aquitain des Sciences de l'Univers (OASU), Floirac CX, France

    Muriel Gargaud

  3. Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), Inst. Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain

    José Cernicharo Quintanilla

  4. Geophysical Lab., Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    Henderson James Cleaves

  5. Astronomy Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

    William M. Irvine

  6. Dépt. Sc. de la Terre et de l’Atmosphère, Université du Québec, Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada

    Daniele Pinti

  7. Centre National d'Etudes Spatiale (CNES) DPI/E2U, Paris CX, France

    Michel Viso

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© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Irvine, W.M. (2014). Dimethyl Ether. In: Amils, R., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1827-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1827-4

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

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