Related papers: Bistability in Interstellar Gas-Phase Chemistry
The elemental depletion of interstellar sulfur from the gas phase has been a recurring challenge for astrochemical models. Observations show that sulfur remains relatively non-depleted with respect to its cosmic value throughout the diffuse…
An accurate treatment of the multiphase interstellar medium (ISM) in hydrodynamic galaxy simulations requires that we follow not only the thermal evolution of the gas, but also the evolution of its chemical state, including its molecular…
One of the major obstacles to accurately model the interstellar chemistry is an inadequate knowledge about the binding energy (BE) of interstellar species with dust grains. In denser region of molecular cloud, where very complex chemistry…
The thermal and chemical phases of the cool component of interstellar gas are discussed. Variations with galactocentric radius and from galaxy to galaxy are mostly the result of changes in the ambient interstellar pressure and radiation…
In the interstellar medium of the Milky Way, certain elements -- e.g., Mg, Si, Al, Ca, Ti, Fe -- reside predominantly in interstellar dust grains. These grains absorb, scatter, and emit electromagnetic radiation, heat the interstellar…
For the first time, we report a unified microscopic-macroscopic Monte Carlo simulation of gas-grain chemistry in cold interstellar clouds in which both the gas-phase and the grain surface chemistry are simulated by a stochastic technique.…
Using the Planck far-infrared and Arecibo GALFA 21-cm line surveys, we identified a set of isolated interstellar clouds (approximately degree-sized on the sky and comprising 100 solar masses) and assessed the ratio of gas mass to dust mass.…
Previous work by various authors has suggested that the detection by Herschel/HIFI of nitrogen hydrides along the low density lines of sight towards G10.6-0.4 (W31C) cannot be accounted for by gas-phase chemical models. In this paper we…
AIM: We have recently developed a microscopic Monte Carlo approach to study surface chemistry on interstellar grains and the morphology of ice mantles. The method is designed to eliminate the problems inherent in the rate-equation formalism…
Condensation of H 2 in the interstellar medium (ISM) has long been seen as a possibility, either by deposition on dust grains or thanks to a phase transition combined with self-gravity. H 2 condensation might explain the observed low…
Carbon containing molecules in cold molecular clouds show various levels of isotopic fractionation through multiple observations. To understand such effects, we have developed a new gas-grain chemical model with updated 13C fractionation…
The quantity of NH3 produced on grain surfaces in the prestellar core is thought to be one of the determining factors regarding the chemical complexity achievable at later stages of stellar birth. In order to investigate how this quantity…
Dust grains play an important role in the synthesis of molecules in the interstellar medium, from the simplest species to complex organic molecules. How some of these solid-state molecules are converted into gas-phase species is still a…
While most chemical reactions in the interstellar medium take place in the gas phase, those occurring on the surfaces of dust grains play an essential role. Chemical models based on rate equations including both gas phase and grain surface…
Recent results on nearby interstellar gas and interstellar byproducts within the solar system are used to select among the equilibrium radiative transfer models of the nearest interstellar material of Slavin and Frisch (2002). Assuming…
Context. The abundances of many observed compounds in interstellar molecular clouds still lack an explanation, despite extensive research that includes both gas and solid (dust-grain surface) phase reactions. Aims. We aim to qualitatively…
Chemical models have been developed over the years by astrophysicists to study the pro- cesses at play in the various environments of the interstellar medium (ISM) that define the chemical composition of the gas and the dust. These…
The degree of porosity in interstellar dust-grain material is poorly defined, although recent work has suggested that the grains could be highly porous. Aside from influencing the optical properties of the dust, porosity has the potential…
The question, what is the role of freeze-out of chemical species in determining the molecular abundances in the interstellar gas is a matter of debate. We investigate a theoretical case of a dense interstellar molecular cloud core by…
Physical conditions in dense and cold regions of interstellar clouds favour the formation of ice mantles on the surfaces of interstellar grains. It is predicted that most of the gaseous species heavier than H2 or He will adsorb onto the…