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Related Experiment Videos

Evolution of interstellar ices.

L J Allamandola1, M P Bernstein, S A Sandford

  • 1Astrochemistry Laboratory, NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, CA 94035-1000, USA. lallamandola@mail.arc.nasa.gov

Space Science Reviews
|September 7, 2001
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Laboratory simulations and infrared observations reveal interstellar ices are primarily simple molecules like water and methanol, with complex organics and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) also present. Photochemical processing is key to forming these cometary building blocks.

Area of Science:

  • Astrochemistry
  • Planetary Science
  • Cosmochemistry

Background:

  • Interstellar ice and dust are fundamental building blocks of comets.
  • Previous understanding relied on limited observational data.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review evidence for interstellar ice composition.
  • To assess the roles of accretion and photochemical processing in ice evolution.
  • To identify likely cometary ice constituents.

Main Methods:

  • Infrared observations of molecular clouds.
  • Realistic laboratory simulations of interstellar ice analogs.
  • Analysis of photochemical processing effects on ice composition.

Main Results:

Keywords:
NASA Center ARCNASA Discipline Exobiology

Related Experiment Videos

  • Interstellar ices are dominated by simple molecules (H2O, CH3OH, CO, CO2) and include complex organics and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
  • Photochemical processing, particularly UV photolysis, is crucial for forming diverse organic molecules (e.g., ethanol, formamide, nitriles) and polyoxymethylenes (POMs).
  • Inclusion of PAHs in laboratory ices yields meteorite-like compounds and facilitates deuterium exchange.

    • Conclusions:

    • Photochemical processing significantly influences interstellar dust evolution and minor ice species.
    • Accretion of gas-phase molecules plays a minor role in determining ice composition.
    • The synthesized species are likely constituents of comets, linking interstellar chemistry to solar system bodies.