[The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters]. Sulfur dioxide sulfide (SSO2) has remained experimentally undetected despite repeated theoretical predictions of its stability.
astrogeology
Posted inAstrochemistry
Pre-Accretion Formation of Sulfuric Acid in Interstellar Ice Analogs: Implications for Sulfate in Ryugu and Bennu
[The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters] Sulfate-bearing phases and soluble sulfate species, including sodium sulfate (Na2SO4), in carbonaceous asteroids are commonly attributed to parent-body aqueous alteration, yet the formation of […]
Posted inMars
ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter Detects Hints Of Volcanic Activity On Mars
[ESA] New evidence from gas seeping above volcanic rifts suggests Mars is not geologically dead deep inside, but merely sleeping.
Posted inAstrogeology
Using Vibrations To Reveal What Lies Beneath Other Planets’ Surfaces
[Virginia Tech] Modern space exploration hasn’t quite reached Star Trek levels of boldly going where no one has gone before. But if, like the denizens of the USS Enterprise, astronauts […]
Posted inTricorders & Sensors
All-Laser Suite Analytical Platform (Microsampling, Catapulting, Trapping, and LIBS) for the Characterization of Discrete Domains in Samples of Astrochemical Interest
[Analytical Chemistry via PubMed] The chemical characterization of scarce or heterogeneous solid samples remains a significant analytical challenge due to the high material quantities required by conventional techniques.
![Proposed scenario to explain the hydrocarbon-rich spectrum of HOPS-68. Gas-phase carbon-bearing species enrich the gas between the soot line (∼ 500 K) and the graphite sublimation rim (∼ 1200 K), which we refer to as the "refractory carbon destruction zone", and are then entrained and transported out of the disk by the disk wind. In the outflow cavity, C2H2 reacts with UV-photons, with C2H as reaction product. C2H can react with C2H2 to form carbon-chain species such as C4H2 and C6H2. The location of the isotherms were estimated using the results from paper A.-- [astro-ph.SR]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/Up-in-smoke.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry
Up In Smoke: Carbon-destruction In The Terrestrial Planet-forming Region Of A Young Class I Disk
[astro-ph.SR] Earth’s surface and deep mantle are strongly depleted in carbon compared to the Sun. Sublimation of solid carbonaceous material in the inner midplanes of young disks could cause this […]
Posted inHabitable Zones
A Whole-Earth Simulation Built To Help Find Life On Other Planets
[University of Washington] It’s a dizzyingly busy time for scientists searching for life on distant planets. To date, astronomers have cataloged more than 6,000 planets beyond our solar system and […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
Windows of Nutrient Bioaccessibility: Phosphorus as a Key Constraint on the Chemical Potential for Life Beyond Earth
[Astrobiology (Journal) via PubMed] Phosphorus plays a central role in the chemistry of life as known on Earth, yet its availability depends on environmental conditions that vary widely among planets […]
Posted inAstrogeology
Hidden In Plain Sight In Ryugu And Meteorites
[Kanazawa University] Asteroid Ryugu and some carbonaceous meteorites, which are thought to have similar origins in the early Solar System, are known as chemically “primitive” materials because they preserve the […]
SETI Live: Prospecting the Solar System Without Landing
What if we could identify valuable resources on other worlds without ever touching their surfaces? A proposed spacecraft concept could transform how we explore the Solar System by combining remote […]