Charon, Pluto’s largest moon, has been extensively studied, with research focusing on its primitive composition and changes due to radiation and photolysis.
hydrocarbons
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
MINDS. Hydrocarbons Detected By JWST/MIRI In The Inner Disk of Sz28 Consistent With A High C/O Gas-phase chemistry
With the advent of JWST, we acquire unprecedented insights into the physical and chemical structure of the inner regions of planet-forming disks where terrestrial planet formation occurs.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Ceres, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
New Candidates for Organic-rich Regions on Ceres
We explore the spatial distribution of organics on Ceres using the visible and near-infrared data collected by the Dawn mission.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Status Report
Abundant Hydrocarbons in the Disk Around a Very-low-mass Star
Very low-mass stars (those <0.3 solar masses) host orbiting terrestrial planets more frequently than other types of stars, but the compositions of those planets are largely unknown.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Press Release
Webb Finds Plethora of Carbon Molecules Around Young Star
An international team of astronomers has used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to study the disk of gas and dust around a young, very low-mass star. The results reveal the […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Saturn, Status Report, Titan
The Fate of Simple Organics on Titan’s Surface: A Theoretical Perspective
Atmospheric photochemistry on Titan continuously transforms methane and nitrogen gases into various organic compounds.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Experimental Investigation of the Photochemical Production of Hydrocarbons in Warm Gas Giant Exoplanet Atmospheres
In warm (equilibrium temperature <1000 K) gas giant exoplanet atmospheres, the observation of trace species in abundances deviating from thermochemical equilibrium predictions could be used as an indicator of disequilibrium […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Molecules and the 2175 Angstrom Interstellar Extinction Bump
The exact nature of the 2175 Angstrom extinction bump, the strongest spectroscopic absorption feature superimposed on the interstellar extinction curve, remains unknown ever since its discovery in 1965. Popular candidate […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Titan
Possible Organic Precursors in Titan's Hydrocarbon
NASA researchers have confirmed the existence in Titan’s atmosphere of vinyl cyanide, which is an organic compound that could potentially provide the cellular membranes for microbial life to form in […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release
A New Chemical Scheme to Study Carbon-rich Exoplanet Atmospheres
Atmospheres with a high C/O ratio are expected to contain an important quantity of hydrocarbons, including heavy molecules (with more than 2 carbon atoms). To study correctly these C-rich atmospheres, […]