Rotational Spectrum and First Interstellar Detection of 2-methoxyethanol Using ALMA Observations of NGC 6334I

We use both chirped-pulse Fourier transform and frequency-modulated absorption spectroscopy to study the rotational spectrum of 2-methoxyethanol (CH3OCH2CH2OH) in several frequency regions ranging from 8.7 to 500 GHz. The resulting rotational parameters permitted a search for this molecule in Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations toward the massive protocluster NGC 6334I, as well as source B of the low-mass protostellar system IRAS 16293-2422. A total of 25 rotational transitions are observed in the ALMA Band 4 data toward NGC 6334I, resulting in the first interstellar detection of 2-methoxyethanol. A column density of 1.3 - 0.9 + 1.4 x 10 17 cm-2 is derived at an excitation temperature of 143 - 39 + 31 K. However, molecular signal is not observed in the Band 7 data toward IRAS 16293-2422B, and an upper-limit column density of 2.5 x 1015 cm-2 is determined. Various possible formation pathways-including radical recombination and insertion reactions-are discussed. We also investigate physical differences between the two interstellar sources that could result in the observed abundance variations.