Astrochemistry Archives

Upper left panel: Moment 0 map of HC3N emission. Top center panels: Channel maps of the HC3N line; selected velocity channels are shown to highlight the Keplerian rotation of the disk. Bottom panel: Matched filter response spectrum for the full spectral window containing the HC3N J = 12-11 transition. The red dashed line marks the expected rest frequency of HC5N J = 41-40. -- astro-ph.SR

Astrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

First Detection of HC5N in a Class II Disk around TW Hya

by Keith CowingJune 8, 2026June 10, 2026

Over the last decade of ALMA’s operation the molecular inventory of protoplanetary disks has expanded rapidly, revealing a diverse set of nitrogen-bearing organics and carbon-chain molecules that trace both prebiotic […]

A schematic representation of the evolution of the outer disk. CI chondrites including Ryugu and Bennu’s parent bodies accrete at the water ice line inward from a barrier trapping outward transported calcium-aluminum-inclusions (CAIs) and chondrules. Fresh input from a streamer pollutes the outer disk, where mixing of CI-like and this material leads to the formation of carbonaceous chondrites. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Intelligence & Language, Interstellar, Status Report

Late Infall Of Molecular Cloud Material Reshaped The Outer Solar System

by Keith CowingJune 7, 2026June 7, 2026

Understanding the physicochemical evolution of the outer protoplanetary disk is critical because it governed the distribution and delivery of key volatiles such as water and organic compounds to the inner, […]

Moment-zero maps for all of the Lupus and Upper Sco sources. The grayscale panels represent non-detections. No H2CO data was available for Upper Sco 6 and for the p-4-3 line for Lupus 6, Upper Sco 9, and Upper Sco 10. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

The ALMA Survey of Gas Evolution of PROtoplanetary Disks (AGE-PRO): Formaldehyde (H2CO) Emission And Its Links To Disk Properties

by Keith CowingJune 7, 2026June 7, 2026

Protoplanetary disks are rotating structures of gas and dust surrounding young stars, serving as the birth places of planets. Understanding the chemical evolution of organic materials in these disks is […]

Initial structure of the Impact Plume 60 s post impact. The impactor strikes from the left, at a 60° angle from horizontal, with the sun located to the right.There is a visible asymmetry in the plume due to the direction of impact; the “hole” on the right side of the plume is a bubble in this 2D slice of a fully 3D plume due to the removal of water vapor-rock mixtures from the simulation during the sampling from SOVA into DSMC codes (Prem et al. 2015). (Top) the plume contains a region of high density (~1022 molecules/m3 ) just above the point of impact, which rapidly drops toward the edges of the plume. (Bottom, left) The high plume densities correspond to short mean free paths for the vapor molecules. (Bottom, right) Comparing this mean free path with the length scale of the density gradient reveals very small Knudsen numbers throughout; the entire plume (except for the very outermost edges) is clearly within the continuum flow regime at this time, rather than the slip-flow, Knudsen, or Free Molecular regimes. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Comets and Asteroids, Cryobiology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Impact events, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mercury, Status Report

Transport of Water In A Transient, Impact-Generated Atmosphere On Mercury

by Keith CowingJune 5, 2026June 26, 2026

Mercury’s polar cold traps host water ice deposits that are likely populated with impact-delivered water via Mercury’s exosphere.

Artist’s impression of Plato, the European Space Agency’s mission to discover Earth-like planets orbiting sun-like stars. The research detailed in this article hopes to help missions, like Plato, narrow this search. -- ESA

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release

New Model Refines Search For Habitable Planets

by Keith CowingJune 5, 2026June 5, 2026

Researchers have developed the Smaller Than Earth Habitability Model (STEHM) to assess which planets can maintain life-supporting atmospheres, focusing on size and atmospheric dynamics.

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

Detection Of A Four-carbon Sugar In Interstellar Space (Erythrulose)

by Keith CowingJune 5, 2026June 5, 2026

Sugars are essential biomolecules, serving as metabolic fuels, nucleic acid backbone components, and structural or energy-storage polymers. A central question in origin-of-life research is how monosaccharides formed on the primitive […]

(Left) TPD curves of SO2 deposited at 80 K on c-ASW (circles) for different coverages (1 ML, blue; 0.72 ML, red; 0.48 ML, green; 0.16 ML, magenta; and 0.07 ML, orange) in the submonolayer regime, with corresponding first-order fits (black lines). (Right) Associated adsorption energy distribution for each TPD curve. -- astro-ph.GA

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Callisto, Enceladus, Europa, Ganymede, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

Temperature-programmed Desorption Of SO2 From Water Ice Surfaces: Adsorption Energy Distributions

by Keith CowingJune 5, 2026June 5, 2026

Context. Sulphur-bearing species play a key role in the chemical evolution of the interstellar medium and icy Solar System bodies such as the Jovian moons, yet the sulphur budget remains […]

Allen Telescope Array (ATA) at the Hat Creek Radio Observatory in Northern California -- SETI Institute

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Intelligence & Language, Interstellar, Press Release, SETI & Technosignatures

SETI Institute Looks for Signs of Technology in Interstellar Visitor 3I/ATLAS

by Keith CowingJune 4, 2026June 4, 2026

Scientists at the SETI Institute searched for technological signals from 3I/ATLAS, the third interstellar object observed in our Solar System.

An artist's impression of a disk of gas and dust formed during the birth of the sun. Credit: NASA/FUSE/Lynette Cook

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Comets and Asteroids, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Mars, Mercury, Meteorites & Asteroids, Press Release, Venus

New Experiments And Modeling On Iron Meteorites Provide Insight Into Young Solar System And Earth’s Building Blocks

by Keith CowingJune 4, 2026June 4, 2026

Habitable planets require life-essential elements, like nitrogen and phosphorus. Understanding how those elements ended up in a planetary body can give insight into the formation of the solar system and […]

Top row: molecular structures of 1,4-, 1,5-, and 2,3-dimethylnaphthalene cations (1,4-, 1,5, and 2,3-diMeNp.+). Bottom row: molecular structures of the three expected longlived isomers of C11H9+ cations: benzyltropylium (BzTr+ ), 1-, and 2-naphthylmethylium (1- and 2-NpCH2+ ). -- astro-ph.GA

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

Acenaphthene Derivatives As Signatures Of C11H9 Reactivity With Methylated Naphthalenes

by Keith CowingJune 4, 2026June 4, 2026

C11H+9 ion is the dominant fragment cation formed from methyl-naphthalene (MeNp) and dimethyl-naphthalene (diMeNp).

Astrochemistry

First Detection of HC5N in a Class II Disk around TW Hya

Late Infall Of Molecular Cloud Material Reshaped The Outer Solar System

The ALMA Survey of Gas Evolution of PROtoplanetary Disks (AGE-PRO): Formaldehyde (H2CO) Emission And Its Links To Disk Properties

Transport of Water In A Transient, Impact-Generated Atmosphere On Mercury

New Model Refines Search For Habitable Planets

Detection Of A Four-carbon Sugar In Interstellar Space (Erythrulose)

Temperature-programmed Desorption Of SO2 From Water Ice Surfaces: Adsorption Energy Distributions

SETI Institute Looks for Signs of Technology in Interstellar Visitor 3I/ATLAS

New Experiments And Modeling On Iron Meteorites Provide Insight Into Young Solar System And Earth’s Building Blocks

Acenaphthene Derivatives As Signatures Of C11H9 Reactivity With Methylated Naphthalenes

PJ Harvey Announces New Song “Voyager”

Fifty Years after Viking: The Promise of Solar System Microbiology and Microbial Ecology

Characterising Transiting Exoplanets At Long Orbital Period: Lessons Learned For PLATO From 10 Years Of Monitoring The HIP41378 System

Implications Of Self-consistent H2O Ice Optical Constants On Radiative Transfer Models Of Disks

The GAPS Programme at TNG LXXIV. A Reanalysis Of The Planetary Systems TOI-1272 And TOI-1694 With HARPS-N And Retraction Of The Planetary Interpretation Of TOI-1272 c