Related papers: Hydrogenation reactions in interstellar CO ice ana…
Wavelength dependent photodesorption rates have been determined using synchrotron radiation, for condensed pure and mixed methanol ice in the 7 -- 14 eV range. The VUV photodesorption of intact methanol molecules from pure methanol ices is…
We use UV measurements of interstellar CO towards nearby stars to calculate the density in the diffuse molecular clouds containing the molecules responsible for the observed absorption. Chemical models and recent calculations of the…
Mono-deuterated methanol is thought to form during the prestellar core stage of star formation. Observed variations in the CH2DOH/CH3OD ratio suggest that its formation is strongly dependent on the surrounding cloud conditions. Thus, it is…
The recent unexpected detection of terrestrial complex organic molecules in the cold (~ 10 K) gas has cast doubts on the commonly accepted formation mechanisms of these species. Standard gas-phase mechanisms are inefficient and tend to…
The triatomic hydrogen ion H3+ is one of the most important species for the gas phase chemistry of the interstellar medium. Observations of H3+ are used to constrain important physical and chemical parameters of interstellar environments.…
We present observations of the stretching mode of 13CO2 ice along 13 lines of sight in the Galaxy, using the Short Wavelength Spectrometer on board of the Infrared Space Observatory. Remarkable variations are seen in the absorption band…
We present a first principles molecular dynamics (FPMD) study of the interaction of low energy, positively charged, carbon (C+) projectiles with amorphous solid water clusters at 30 K. Reactions involving the carbon ion at an initial energy…
Methanol is a common component of interstellar and circumstellar ice mantles and is often used as an evolution indicator in star-forming regions. The observations of gas-phase methanol in the interiors of dense molecular clouds at…
Carbon monoxide (CO) is the second most abundant molecule in the gas-phase of the interstellar medium. In dense molecular clouds, it is also present in the solid-phase as a constituent of the mixed water-dominated ices covering dust grains.…
Currently ~36 different absorption bands have been detected in the infrared spectra of cold, dense interstellar and circumstellar environments. These are attributed to the vibrational transitions of ~17 different molecules frozen on dust…
Our current understanding of interstellar carbon fractionation hinges on the interpretation of astrochemical kinetic models. Yet, the various reactions included carry large uncertainties in their (estimated) rate coefficients, notably those…
There is a robust polyatomic chemistry in diffuse, partially-molecular interstellar gas that is readily accessible in absorption at radio/mm/sub-mm wavelengths. Accurate column densities are derived owing to the weak internal excitation, so…
Methanol and complex organic molecules have been found in cold starless cores, where a standard warm-up scenario would not work because of the absence of heat sources. A recent chemical model attributed the presence of methanol and large…
Current gas phase models do not account for the abundances of HNCO isomers detected in various environments, suggesting a formation in icy grain mantles. We attempted to study a formation channel of HNCO and its possible isomers by…
The modelling of molecular excitation and dissociation processes relevant to astrochemistry requires the validation of theories by comparison with data generated from laboratory experimentation. The newly commissioned Ice Chamber for…
Context. The number of identified complex organic molecules (COMs) in inter- and circumstellar gas-phase environments is steadily increasing. Recent laboratory studies show that many such species form on icy dust grains. At present only…
Studies of ion-molecule reactions at low temperatures are difficult because stray electric fields in the reaction volume affect the kinetic energy of charged reaction partners. We describe a new experimental approach to study ion-molecule…
The condensation fronts (snow lines) of H2O, CO and other abundant volatiles in the midplane of a protoplanetary disk affect several aspects of planet formation. Locating the CO snow line, where the CO gas column density is expected to drop…
A number of recent experimental studies have shown that solid-state complex organic molecules (COMs) can form under conditions that are relevant to the CO freeze-out stage in dense clouds. In this work, we show that alcohols can be formed…
Extremely large deuteration of several molecules has been observed towards prestellar cores and low-mass protostars for a decade. New observations performed towards low-mass protostars suggest that water presents a lower deuteration in the…