The nitrogen to carbon (N/C) and nitrogen to oxygen (N/O) ratios are the most sensitive quantities to mixing in stellar interiors of intermediate and massive stars. We further investigate the […]
Astrochemistry
Posted inAstrochemistry, Radiation
Radiolysis of Amino Acids by Heavy and Energetic Cosmic Ray Analogs in Simulated Space Environments
In this work, we studied the stability of the glycine molecule in the crystalline zwitterion form, known as {alpha}-glycine (+ NH3 CH2 COO− ) under action of heavy cosmic ray […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes
Light Echoes from n Carinae's Great Eruption: Spectrophotometric Evolution and the Rapid Formation of Nitrogen-rich Molecules
By obtaining images and spectra at the same light echo position between 2011 and 2014, we follow the evolution of the Great Eruption on a three-year timescale. By obtaining images […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
Spectropolarimetric Constraints on the Nature of Interstellar Grains
While it is well recognized that interstellar grains are made of amorphous silicates and some form of carbonaceous materials, it remains debated regarding what exact chemical and physical form the […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Beta Pictoris, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets
Volatile Planetary Evolution and the Possibility of Life
In another step forward in the search for habitable planets, a team of researchers based out of the US and Chile announced that they have located a large swarm of […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
Bayesian Source Separation Applied to Identifying Complex Organic Molecules in Space
Emission from a class of benzene-based molecules known as Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) dominates the infrared spectrum of star-forming regions. The observed emission appears to arise from the combined emission […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets
Hubble Near-IR Transmission Spectroscopy of the Super-Earth HD 9765
Recent results from the Kepler mission indicate that super-Earths (planets with masses between 1-10 times that of the Earth) are the most common kind of planet around nearby Sun-like stars. […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes
Infrared Band Strengths of Pyrene Frozen in Water Ice: Implications for the Composition of Interstellar Ices
Broad infrared emission features (e.g., at 3.3, 6.2, 7.7, 8.6, and 11.3 microns) from the gas phase interstellar medium have long been attributed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). A significant […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets
NRL Researchers Detect Water Around a Hot Jupiter
Scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) are part of a research team that has detected water vapor in the atmosphere of a planet outside our solar system. The […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Formation in O-rich Planetary Nebulae
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been observed in O-rich planetary nebulae towards the Galactic Bulge. This combination of oxygen-rich and carbon-rich material, known as dual-dust or mixed chemistry, is not […]