Although several research groups have studied the formation of H2 on interstellar dust grains using surface science techniques, few have explored the formation of more complex molecules. A small number of these reactions produce molecules that remain on the surface of interstellar dust grains and, over time, lead to the formation of icy mantles. The most abundant of these species within the ice is H2O and is of particular interest as the observed molecular abundance cannot be accounted for using gas-phase chemistry alone. This article provides a brief introduction to the astronomical implications and motivations behind this research and the requirement for a new dual atomic beam ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) system. Further details of the apparatus design, characterisation, and calibration of the system are provided along with preliminary data from atomic O and O2 beam dosing on bare silica substrate and subsequent temperature programmed desorption measurements. The results obtained in this ongoing research may enable more chemically accurate surface formation mechanisms to be deduced for this and other species before simulating the kinetic data under interstellar conditions.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4919657 | DOI Listing |
Sci Adv
January 2025
New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Extreme Photonics and Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
Small organic molecules are essential building blocks of our universe, from cosmic dust to planetary surfaces to life. Compared to their well-known gaseous and liquid forms that have been extensively studied, small organic molecules in the form of ice at low temperatures receive much less attention. Here, we show that supercooled small-molecule droplets can be drawn into highly uniform amorphous ice microfibers with lengths up to 5 cm and diameters down to 200 nm.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
January 2025
Division of Space, Ecological, Arctic, and Resource-limited (SPEAR) Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114.
One of the most surprising and important findings of the first human landings on the Moon was the discovery of a very fine layer of lunar dust covering the entire surface of Moon along with the negative impacts of this dust on the well-being and operational effectiveness of the astronauts, their equipment, and instrumentation. The United States is now planning for human missions to Mars, a planet where dust can also be expected to be ubiquitous for many or most landing sites. For these missions, the design and operations of key hardware systems must take this dust into account, especially when related to crew health and safety.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Phys Chem A
January 2025
Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991 Russia.
The recent detection of benzonitrile (CHCN) in the interstellar medium is one of the most fascinating discoveries in astrochemistry and molecular astrophysics. However, the mechanism of its formation in interstellar ices remains unclear. Here, we report the first evidence for the direct synthesis of benzonitrile through the radiation-induced transformations of an isolated CH···HCN complex in inert rigid media at cryogenic temperature (4.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
December 2024
Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822.
Small bodies are capable of delivering essential prerequisites for the development of life, such as volatiles and organics, to the terrestrial planets. For example, empirical evidence suggests that water was delivered to the Earth by hydrated planetesimals from distant regions of the Solar System. Recently, several morphologically inactive near-Earth objects were reported to experience significant nongravitational accelerations inconsistent with radiation-based effects, and possibly explained by volatile-driven outgassing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
December 2024
Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) play a major role in the chemistry of combustion, pyrolysis, and the interstellar medium. Production (or activation) of radical PAHs and propagation of their resulting reactions require efficient dehydrogenation, but the preferred method of hydrogen loss is not well understood. Unimolecular hydrogen ejection (i.
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