Speaker
Description
In cold space environments, the synthesis of organic molecules can occur following radiolysis of small molecules (H2O, CO, CH4, NH3 etc.) on cold surfaces like dust grains (molecular clouds) and icy bodies of the solar system [1].
We performed swift ion irradiation experiments related to formation and destruction of organic molecules at different accelerator facilities (GANIL, Caen/France, GSI, Darmstadt/Germany and ATOMKI, Debrecen/Hungary) in a wide temperature range (10-300K). Within the PEPR Origins [pepr-origins.fr], a unique multi-beam irradiation device (UV photons, keV electrons and keV-GeV ions delivered by GANIL/Caen), the MIRRPLA platform, open to the various scientific communities (astrophysics, radiobiology, environmental and materials sciences) is currently being built [2].
Infrared absorption spectroscopy FTIR and mass spectrometry QMS allow in situ observation of processing of the icy layers. Ex-situ analysis of residues is performed by e.g. high-resolution mass spectrometric methods. We present results obtained in the past and future projects, with special emphasis on our studies at the M3 beamline at UNILAC (see [3] and references therein).
[1] H. Rothard, A. Domaracka, P. Boduch, M. E. Palumbo, G. Strazzulla, E. F. da Silveira and
E. Dartois, Modification of ices by cosmic rays and solar wind, J. Phys. B : At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 50, 062001 (2017), doi: 10.1088/1361-6455/50/6/062001
[2] Alicja Domaracka and Grégoire Danger, Multiple Beam Irradiation Platform MIRRPLA: Origin and Evolution of Organic Matter in the Solar System, Nuclear Physics News 33(4), 36–37 (2023), doi: 10.1080/10619127.2023.2265772
[3] C. Mejía, G. S. V. Muniz, M. Bender, D. Severin, C. Trautmann, A. N. Agnihotri, B. Augé, A. Domaracka, P. Boduch, H. Rothard, Swift heavy ion irradiation of Thymine at cryogenic temperature, Nucl. Instum. Meth. B534 (2023) 11-15, doi: 10.1016/j.nimb.2022.10.024