[NASA/UA HiRISE] The mid-latitudes of Mars are mostly covered with smooth material that scientists have suspected to be ice for some time. The ground is uniform and dusty and does […]
ice
Posted inAstrochemistry
Experimental Astrochemistry And Machine Learning Unravel The Formation Of Oxygen-bearing Organic Molecules In Extraterrestrial Ices
[Nature Communications Chemistry] Oxygen-bearing organic molecules, including aldehydes, alcohols, and peroxides, serve as key precursors to complex organics in extraterrestrial environments. Their non-equilibrium formation mechanisms critically constrain the molecular complexity […]
![[Top] Spin density plot of H2S on a charged surface. The red lobe visualizes where the extra electron resides within the complex. In both (a) and (b), the extra electron is located in a pocket created by the coordination of nearby H-atoms from both the ASW surface and the H2S molecule. [BOTTOM] SO2 on a (a) neutral surface and on a (b) charged surface. Panel (a) shows both the S - - O interaction and the dH - - O interaction often found in these neutral ASW/SO2 complexes. The wireframe in panel (b) shows the spin density of the charged ASW/SO2 complex. The extra electron clearly resides in the LUMO of SO2 and interacts with the surface through multiple dH - - O interactions. -- [astro-ph.GA]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Effect-of-Ice.png?resize=1200%2C766&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry
Effect Of Ice Charging On The Astrochemistry Of Interstellar Sulfur Bearing Species On Amorphous Solid Water
[astro-ph.GA] We aim to derive statistically robust and physically interpretable BE distributions for atomic S and the sulfur-bearing molecules H2S, SO2, and OCS on neutral and negatively charged ASW, and […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Icy Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Sample Return, Status Report
Bipolar Investigation Of Near-surface Glacial Ice Reveals An Active Microbial Ecosystem Driven By Photosynthesis And Chemolithoautotrophy
Despite extreme conditions including freezing temperatures, low water activity, and few nutrients, active microorganisms are thought to inhabit glacial ice, yet little is known about their identities and methods of […]
Posted inAI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Europa, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Probing The Habitability Of Potential Sulfuric Acid Rich Subsurface Lakes In Europa’s Ice Shell Via Saci/STIV Integrated Models
Experimentally modeling the habitability of extreme ocean world conditions, such as those on Jupiter’s moon: Europa, would benefit from integrated microbe-virus model studies to provide both a microbial model and […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
Fizzy Water Ice In Space: CO2 Adsorption, Binding Energies And Its Fate In A Protoplanetary Disk
Context: CO2 is the third most abundant ice component found on dust grains in star-forming regions and a common ingredient of exoplanet atmospheres. Characterization of its adsorption properties on ices […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
Modeling The UV-photon Irradiation Of CS2-bearing Ices In The Laboratory With The pyRate Gas-grain Astrochemical Code. New Insights Into The Missing Sulfur Problem
Observations indicate that the total abundance of S-bearing species in dense clouds is orders of magnitude lower than the cosmic sulfur abundance.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
CORINOS V: Radiative Transfer Effects In Protostellar Ice Observations
Recent observations of protostars with the James Webb Space Telescope have revealed unprecedented chemical complexity from their ice absorption features.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Cryobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release
Drone Radar Reveals Buried Glaciers On Earth, Guiding The Search For Water On Mars
Understanding how to explore hidden glaciers on Mars begins not in a laboratory, but in remote field camps across Alaska and Wyoming.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
JOYS+ Analyses Of OCN−, N2O, NO, And Complex Cyanides In Ices — Thermal Processing Results In Modest Enhancement Of OCN− Ice
Nitrogen-bearing molecules are more difficult to observe than oxygen-bearing ones, mainly due to the lower abundance of nitrogen in the interstellar medium.