Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
May 2011
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011iaus..280p.205i&link_type=abstract
The Molecular Universe, Posters from the proceedings of the 280th Symposium of the International Astronomical Union held in Tole
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
The formation of complex organic molecules (COMs) observed in the inter- and circumstellar medium (ISCM) is driven by a complex chemical network yet to be fully characterized. Interstellar dust grains and the surrounding ice mantles, subject to atom bombardment, UV irradiation, and thermal processing, are believed to provide catalytic sites for such chemistry. However, the solid state chemical processes and the level of complexity reachable under astronomical conditions remain poorly understood. The conventional laboratory techniques used to characterize the solid state reaction pathways - RAIRS (Reflection Absorption IR Spectroscopy) and TPD (Temperature-Programmed Desorption) - are suitable for the analysis of reactions in ices made of relatively small molecules. For more complex ices comprising a series of different components as relevant to the interstellar medium, spectral overlapping prohibits unambiguous identification of reaction schemes, and these techniques start to fail. Therefore, we have constructed a new and innovative experimental set up for the study of complex interstellar ices featuring a highly sensitive and unambiguous detection method. MATRIICES (Mass Analytical Tool for Reactions in Interstellar ICES) combines Laser Ablation technique with a molecular beam experiment and Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (LA-TOF-MS) to sample and analyze the ice analogues in situ, at native temperatures, under clean ultra-high vacuum conditions. The method allows direct sampling and analysis of the ice constituents in real time, by using a pulsed UV ablation laser (355-nm Nd:YAG) to vaporize the products in a MALDI-TOF like detection scheme. The ablated material is caught in a synchronously pulsed molecular beam of inert carrier gas (He) from a supersonic valve, and analysed in a Reflectron Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer. The detection limit of the method is expected to exceed that of the regular surface techniques substantially. The ultimate goal is to fully characterize and quantify chemical reactions towards molecular complexity in space. The new setup is discussed and first results are presented.
Bossa Jean-Baptiste
Isokoski Karoliina
Linnartz Harold
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