Related papers: The nitrogen carrier in protoplanetary disks
A major motivation of spectroscopic observations of giant exoplanets is to unveil planet formation processes from atmospheric compositions. Several recent studies suggested that atmospheric nitrogen, like carbon and oxygen, can provide…
We investigate the evolution of molecular abundance in quiescent protoplanetary disks which are presumed to be around weak-line T Tauri stars. In the region of surface density less than $10^2$ g cm$^{-2}$ (distance from the star $\gtrsim…
Cometary studies suggest that the organic composition of the early Solar Nebula was rich in complex nitrile species such a CH$_3$CN. Recent ALMA detections in protoplanetary disks suggest that these species may be common during planet and…
HCN is among the most commonly detected molecules in star- and planet-forming regions. It is of broad interest as a tracer of star-formation physics, a probe of nitrogen astrochemistry, and an ingredient in prebiotic chemical schemes.…
The isotopic ratio of nitrogen in nearby protoplanetary disks, recently measured in CN and HCN, indicates that a fractionated reservoir of nitrogen is available at the stage of comet formation. This reservoir presents a 3:1 enrichment in…
The ratio between the two stable isotopes of nitrogen, $^{14}$N and $^{15}$N, is well measured in the terrestrial atmosphere ($\sim 272$), and in the pre-Solar nebula ($\sim 441$). Interestingly, some pristine Solar System materials show…
This study, placed in the context of the preparation for the Uranus Orbiter Probe mission, aims to predict the bulk volatile compositions of Uranus and Neptune. Using a protoplanetary disk model, it examines the evolution of trace species…
The origin of the heavily fractionated reservoir of nitrogen in comets remains an issue in the theory of their formation and hence of the solar system. Whether the fractionated reservoir traced by comets is inherited from the interstellar…
Ices are the main carriers of volatiles in protoplanetary disks and are crucial to our understanding of the chemistry that ultimately sets the organic composition of planets. The ERS program Ice Age on the JWST follows the ice evolution…
The elemental compositions of planets define their chemistry, and could potentially be used as beacons for their formation location if the elemental gas and grain ratios of planet birth environments, i.e. protoplanetary disks, are well…
The Texas Echelon cross Echelle Spectrograph (TEXES), mounted on NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF), was used to map mid-infrared ammonia absorption features on both Jupiter and Saturn in February 2013. Ammonia is the principle…
Molecular line emission from protoplanetary disks is a powerful tool to constrain their physical and chemical structure. Nevertheless, only a few molecules have been detected in disks so far. We take advantage of the enhanced capabilities…
Nitriles play a key role as molecular precursors in prebiotic experiments based on the RNA-world scenario for the origin of life. These chemical compounds could have been partially delivered to the young Earth from extraterrestrial objects,…
Complex nitriles, such as HC3N, and CH3CN, are observed in a wide variety of astrophysical environments, including at relatively high abundances in photon-dominated regions (PDR) and the UV exposed atmospheres of planet-forming disks. The…
We explore the chemistry and observability of nitrogen dominated atmospheres for ultra-short-period super-Earths. We base the assumption, that super-Earths could have nitrogen filled atmospheres, on observations of 55 Cnc e that favour a…
Advances in infrared and submillimeter technology have allowed for detailed observations of the molecular content of the planet-forming regions of protoplanetary disks. In particular, disks around solar-type stars now have growing molecular…
The HIFI instrument on board the Herschel Space Observatory has been used to observe interstellar nitrogen hydrides along the sight-line towards G10.6-0.4 in order to improve our understanding of the interstellar chemistry of nitrogen. We…
Volatiles are compounds with low sublimation temperatures, and they make up most of the condensible mass in typical planet-forming environments. They consist of relatively small, often hydrogenated, molecules based on the abundant elements…
Oxygen (O) and carbon (C) have been inferred recently to be subsolar in abundance from spectra of the atmosphere of the transiting hot Jupiter HD 189733b. Yet, the mass and radius of the planet coupled with structure models indicate a…
Recent measurements of carbon isotope ratios in both protoplanetary disks and exoplanet atmospheres have suggested a possible transfer of significant carbon isotope fractionation from disks to planets. For a clearer understanding of the…