CARBON DIOXIDE INFLUENCE ON THE THERMAL FORMATION OF COMPLEX ORGANIC MOLECULES IN INTERSTELLAR ICE ANALOGS

Journal Article · Thu Aug 20 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Astrophysical Journal Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/809/2/L18· OSTI ID:22518907

Vinogradoff, V.; Fray, N.; Bouilloud, M.; Cottin, H. ^[1]; Duvernay, F.

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1. LISA Laboratoire Interuniversitaire des Systèmes Atmosphériques, UMR CNRS 7583, Université Paris Est Créteil (UPEC), Université Paris Diderot (UPD), Institut Pierre Simon Laplace, Labex ESEP, Paris (France)

Interstellar ices are submitted to energetic processes (thermal, UV, and cosmic-ray radiations) producing complex organic molecules. Laboratory experiments aim to reproduce the evolution of interstellar ices to better understand the chemical changes leading to the reaction, formation, and desorption of molecules. In this context, the thermal evolution of an interstellar ice analogue composed of water, carbon dioxide, ammonia, and formaldehyde is investigated. The ice evolution during the warming has been monitored by IR spectroscopy. The formation of hexamethylenetetramine (HMT) and polymethylenimine (PMI) are observed in the organic refractory residue left after ice sublimation. A better understanding of this result is realized with the study of another ice mixture containing methylenimine (a precursor of HMT) with carbon dioxide and ammonia. It appears that carbamic acid, a reaction product of carbon dioxide and ammonia, plays the role of catalyst, allowing the reactions toward HMT and PMI formation. This is the first time that such complex organic molecules (HMT, PMI) are produced from the warming (without VUV photolysis or irradiation with energetic particles) of abundant molecules observed in interstellar ices (H{sub 2}O, NH{sub 3}, CO{sub 2}, H{sub 2}CO). This result strengthens the importance of thermal reactions in the ices’ evolution. HMT and PMI, likely components of interstellar ices, should be searched for in the pristine objects of our solar system, such as comets and carbonaceous chondrites.

• OSTI ID: 22518907
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal Letters, Vol. 809, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 2041-8205
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
AMMONIA
CARBON DIOXIDE
CHONDRITES
COMETS
COSMIC RADIATION
DESORPTION
FAR ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
FORMALDEHYDE
ICE
INFRARED SPECTRA
INTERSTELLAR GRAINS
INTERSTELLAR SPACE
IRRADIATION
MOLECULES
PHOTOLYSIS
SOLAR SYSTEM
SUBLIMATION
UROTROPIN
WATER