Recently in the Astrochemistry Category

In a laboratory experiment that mimics astrophysical conditions, with cryogenic temperatures in an ultrahigh vacuum, scientists used an electron gun to irradiate thin sheets of ice covered in basic molecules of methane, ammonia, and carbon dioxide.

The organic content of protoplanetary disks sets the initial compositions of planets and comets, thereby influencing subsequent chemistry that is possible in nascent planetary systems.

Scientists have used lab experiments to retrace the chemical steps leading to the creation of complex hydrocarbons in space, showing pathways to forming 2-D carbon-based nanostructures in a mix of heated gases.

Formation of organic aerosols driven by photochemical reactions has been observed and suggested in CH4-containing atmospheres, including Titan and early Earth.

A Leicester mathematician has developed a theory to explain 'heating by cooling', where the temperature of a granular gas increases while the total energy drops down - a peculiar phenomenon which can be observed both on Earth and in space.

We predict how the C, N, and O abundances within the interstellar medium of galaxies evolve as functions of the galaxy star formation history (SFH).

This work presents theoretical studies which combine aspects of combustion and explosion theory with exoplanetary atmospheric science.

We report the first extragalactic detection of the complex organic molecules (COMs) dimethyl ether (CH₃OCH₃) and methyl formate (CH₃OCHO) with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA).

Back in the 1930s, astronomers detected one of the first molecules in interstellar space - carbynes. The simplest carbyne, formed by carbon and hydrogen only, is nowadays considered one of the most basic ingredients for life.

The nearby dwarf galaxy known as the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is a chemically primitive place. Unlike the Milky Way, this semi-spiral collection of a few tens-of-billions of stars lacks our galaxy's rich abundance of heavy elements, like carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen.