Photon Tools for Physical Chemistry 2019

Session

Astrochemistry II

10 Jan 2019, 10:25

Beatenberg, Switzerland

Conveners

Astrochemistry II

• Laurent Nahon

0. Probing Low Temperature Molecular Mass Growth Processes to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) via Vacuum Ultraviolet Photoionization Mass Spectrometry – Saturn’s Moon Titan as a Case Study

Prof. Ralf I. Kaiser (Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822)

10/01/2019, 10:25

The detection of benzene in Titan’s atmosphere led to the emergence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as potential nucleation agents triggering the growth of Titan’s orange-brownish haze layers. However, the fundamental mechanisms leading to the formation of PAHs in Titan’s low temperature atmosphere have remained elusive. We provide persuasive evidence through laboratory experiments...

13. The prebiotic building blocks of peptides

Dr Niels Ligterink (Center for Space and Habitability, University of Bern)

10/01/2019, 10:50

Small molecules such as formamide (NH$_2$CHO), methyl isocyanate (CH$_3$NCO) and acetamide (CH$_3$CONH$_2$) belong to a select group of interstellar molecules considered to be relevant precursors to the formation of peptide structures. On Earth, the peptide bond is the chemical link between amino acids that forms proteins, the engines of life. Recent detections of NH$_2$CHO, CH$_3$NCO and...

16. Photoelectron-photoion coincidence spectroscopy for laboratory astrochemistry: VUV Photodynamics of radicals, radical reaction products, PAHs, and more

Dr Helgi Hrodmarsson (Synchrotron SOLEIL)

10/01/2019, 11:05

The field of astrochemistry is furthered by a synergistic approach between i) telescope-observations, ii) modelling calculations that make use of physical and chemical parameters of relevant molecules and reactions, and iii) laboratory experiments that are designed to inspect and extract the physical characteristics of specific molecules, photon-induced reactions, surface processes, etc., that...

11. Desorption of neutrals, cations and anions induced by core-excitation of water ice

Mr Rémi Dupuy (Sorbonne Université)

10/01/2019, 11:20

Water ice plays an important role in many different fields of physical sciences. In particular, water ice is ubiquitous in the interstellar medium. Interaction between condensed water and high energy radiation – such as X-ray photons – is a key process in space, that plays an important role in the balance between the gas phase and the solid phase. The core excitation of water ice has been the...

62. Ice chemistry apparatus with a fast-tuning 7.5 ÷ 11.5 eV vacuum ultraviolet source for processing and detection

Pavlo Maksyutenko (Harvard University)

10/01/2019, 11:35

Hot topic

Solid phase processes contribute to the chemical evolution in interstellar and circumstellar media via interactions between icy grains mantles and dissociative and ionizing radiation. Such energetic processing of ices affects the ice composition via non-equilibrium surface desorption processes and chemical reactions throughout the ice. Far ultraviolet radiation is a potentially important...