[ACS Earth Space Chemistry] Although energetic and nonenergetic processing of interstellar dust grain surfaces and ice is thought to be one of the dominant mechanisms for the extraterrestrial synthesis of […]
ice
Posted inAstrochemistry
Modeling The Radiolysis In H2O:HCOOH ice: Connecting Laboratory Experiments With Astronomical Measurements
[RSC Advances] We present a computational study of radiolytic chemistry and desorption dynamics in astrophysical ice composed of H2O:HCOOH (1 : 1), irradiated with Ni11+ ions at 46 MeV and […]
![LDPI–ReTOF mass spectrum obtained after the deposition of 40 ML pure NH3 ice at 15 K (red), without VUV irradiation. A reference mass spectrum obtained for a bare, clean substrate is presented for comparison (black). The spectra are offset for clarity -- [astro-ph.IM]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Quantifying.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry
Quantifying The Temperature-dependent Yields Of N2 And N2H4 Formation In Vacuum-ultraviolet-irradiated NH3 Ice
[astro-ph.IM] Gas–grain astrochemical models predict that a substantial fraction of elemental nitrogen in dense cores and protoplanetary disks is locked in molecular nitrogen (N2), in the gas or ice phase, […]
![Binding energies of CO, CO2 and NH3 on pristine and cavity-containing ice clusters consisting of 100 and 97 H2O molecules, respectively. The error bars represent the spread in adsorption energies across the three clusters. Dispersion energy as fraction of the total binding energy per species, site and functional. -- [astro-ph.GA]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/How-Small.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry
How Small is Large Enough? Determining Minimal Cluster Sizes for Molecule Adsorption on Interstellar Amorphous Ice
[astro-ph.GA] Binding energies of molecules on ice mantles are important to understand the evolution of molecular complexity in molecular clouds.
Posted inMars
Cliffs Of Ice On Mars
[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 […]
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 […]