Processing of astrophysical ices by soft X-rays and swift ions

Abstract

AbstractThe employment of soft X-rays and swift ions has been used in laboratory to simulate the physicochemical processing of astrophysical ice analogs by energetic photons and cosmic rays. This processing includes excitation, ionization and molecular dissociation, desorption, as well as triggers the formation of new compounds. Here we present some results from experiments employing infrared spectroscopy in two different laboratories: LNLS/CNPEM in Campinas/Brazil and GANIL/CIRIL/CIMAP in Caen/France. Among the results are the formation of alkenes and aromatic compounds during the irradiation of saturated hydrocarbon-containing ices by cosmic ray analogs, the production of the nucleobase adenine during soft X-ray photolysis of N2:CH4 ice, as well as the formation of peptide bonds during the bombardment of frozen glycine by cosmic ray analogs. The interaction between cosmic ray analogs and ionizing soft X-rays probed in the laboratory allows us to identify reaction routes that lead to chemistry enhancement of astrophysical ices and help us put constrains in prebiotic chemistry.