We study the spatial distribution and chemistry of small hydrocarbons in the Orion Bar PDR. We used the IRAM-30m telescope to carry out a millimetre line survey towards the Orion […]
astrochemistry
Posted inAstrochemistry, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets
Stellar Parameters and Chemical Abundances of 223 Evolved Stars With and Without Planets
We present fundamental stellar parameters and chemical abundances for a sample of 86 evolved stars with planets and for a control sample of 137 stars without planets. The analysis was […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Status Report
Clear Skies and Water Vapor on an Exoplanet
Astronomers using data from three of NASA’s space telescopes — Hubble, Spitzer and Kepler — have discovered clear skies and steamy water vapor on a gaseous planet outside our solar […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
The Link Between Water Gas and Ice in Protostellar Envelopes
Our aim is to determine the critical parameters in water chemistry and the contribution of water to the oxygen budget by observing and modelling water gas and ice for a […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Status Report
The Origin of Complex Organic Molecules in Prestellar Cores
Complex organic molecules (COMs) have been detected in a variety of environments, including cold prestellar cores. Given the low temperature of these objects, these last detections challenge existing models. We […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
Reconstructing the Cosmic Evolution of the Chemical Elements
The chemical elements are created in nuclear fusion processes in the hot and dense cores of stars. The energy generated through nucleosynthesis allows stars to shine for billions of years. […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets
Methane, Carbon Monoxide, and Ammonia in Brown Dwarfs and Self-Luminous Giant Planets
We address disequilibrum abundances of some simple molecules in the atmospheres of solar composition brown dwarfs and self-luminous extrasolar giant planets using a kinetics-based 1D atmospheric chemistry model. We employ […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
Small Carbon Chains in Circumstellar Envelopes
Observations were made for a number of carbon-rich circumstellar envelopes using the Phoenix spectrograph on the Gemini South telescope to determine the abundance of small carbon chain molecules. Vibration-rotation lines […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry
Molecules with a peptide link in protostellar shocks: a comprehensive study of L1157
Interstellar molecules with a peptide link -NH-C(=O)-, like formamide (NH2 CHO), acetamide (NH2 COCH3) and isocyanic acid (HNCO) are particularly interesting for their potential role in pre-biotic chemistry. We have […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes
Indications of Water Clouds in the Coldest Known Brown Dwarf
We present a deep near-infrared image of the newly discovered brown dwarf WISE J085510.83-071442.5 (W0855) using the FourStar imager at Las Campanas Observatory. Our detection of J3=24.8+0.33 -0.53 (J_MKO=25.0+0.33-0.53) at […]