Spearheaded by earth scientists of the University of Cologne, an international team of geologists has found evidence that a large proportion of the elements that are important for the formation […]
astrochemistry
Posted inAstrochemistry, Comets and Asteroids, Press Release
Puzzle About Nitrogen Solved Thanks to Cometary Analogues
Comets and asteroids are objects in our solar system that have not developed much since the planets were formed. As a result, they are in a sense the archives of […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Press Release
Prevalence of Complex Organic Molecules in Starless and Prestellar Cores within the Taurus Molecular Cloud
The detection of complex organic molecules (COMs) toward dense, collapsing prestellar cores has sparked interest in the fields of astrochemistry and astrobiology, yet the mechanisms for COM formation are still […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Press Release
An ALMA Survey of H2CO in Protoplanetary Disks
H2CO is one of the most abundant organic molecules in protoplanetary disks and can serve as a precursor to more complex organic chemistry. We present an ALMA survey of H2CO […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Press Release
Hemolithin: A Meteoritic Protein Containing Iron And Lithium
This paper characterizes the first protein to be discovered in a meteorite. Amino acid polymers previously observed in Acfer 086 and Allende meteorites [1,2] have been further characterized in Acfer […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Press Release
Separate Silicate And Carbonaceous Solids Formed From Mixed Atomic And Molecular Species Diffusing In Neon Ice
The formation and growth of refractory matter on pre-existing interstellar dust grain surfaces was studied experimentally by annealing neon-ice matrices in which potential precursors of silicate grains (Mg and Fe […]
Posted inMeteorites & Asteroids, Press Release
Potassium Isotopic Compositions Of Enstatite Meteorites
Enstatite chondrites and aubrites are meteorites that show the closest similarities to the Earth in many isotope systems that undergo mass-independent and mass-dependent isotope fractionations. Due to the analytical challenges […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Press Release
A Method For Mapping The Aliphatic Hydrocarbon Content Of Interstellar Dust Towards The Galactic Centre
In the interstellar medium, the cosmic elemental carbon abundance includes the total carbon in both gas and solid phases. The aim of the study was to trial a new method […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Press Release
Revisiting The Reactivity Between HCO and CH3 On Interstellar Grain Surfaces
Formation of interstellar complex organic molecules is currently thought to be dominated by the barrierless coupling between radicals on the interstellar icy grain surfaces. Previous standard DFT results on the […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Press Release
Aliphatic Hydrocarbon Content Of The Interstellar Dust
In the interstellar medium, carbon is distributed between the gas and solid phases. However, while about half of the expected carbon abundance can be accounted for in the gas phase, […]