Fullerenes are a particularly stable class of carbon molecules in the shape of a hollow sphere or ellipsoid that might be formed in the outflows of carbon stars. Once injected […]
astro-ph.GA
Posted inAstrochemistry
Characterizing Chemical Pathways for Water Formation: Deep Search for Hydrogen Peroxide
In 2011, hydrogen peroxide (HOOH) was observed for the first time outside the solar system (Bergman et al., A&A, 2011, 531, L8). This detection appeared a posteriori quite natural, as […]
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, 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
Formation History of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Galaxies
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are some of the major dust components in the interstellar medium (ISM). We present our evolution models for the abundance of PAHs in the ISM on […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
Complex Organic Molecules in the Interstellar Medium
The discovery of amino acids in meteorites and the detection of glycine in samples returned from a comet to Earth suggest that the interstellar chemistry is capable of producing such […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
Is the CH + H2O Reaction a Source of Interstellar Formaldehyde?
Water is an important reservoir species for oxygen in interstellar space and plays a key role in the physics of star formation through cooling by far-infrared emission. Whilst water vapour […]