Hydrogenation of Accreting C Atoms and CO Molecules–Simulating Ketene and Acetaldehyde Formation Under Dark and Translucent Cloud Conditions

Abstract

Abstract Simple and complex organic molecules (COMs) are observed along different phases of star and planet formation and have been successfully identified in prestellar environments such as dark and translucent clouds. Yet the picture of organic molecule formation at those earliest stages of star formation is not complete and an important reason is the lack of specific laboratory experiments that simulate carbon atom addition reactions on icy surfaces of interstellar grains. Here we present experiments in which CO molecules as well as C and H atoms are codeposited with H2O molecules on a 10 K surface mimicking the ongoing formation of an “H2O-rich” ice mantle. To simulate the effect of impacting C atoms and resulting surface reactions with ice components, a specialized C-atom beam source is used, implemented on SURFRESIDE3, an ultra-high vacuum cryogenic setup. Formation of ketene (CH2CO) in the solid state is observed in situ by means of reflection absorption IR spectroscopy. C18O and D isotope labeled experiments are performed to further validate the formation of ketene. Data analysis supports that CH2CO is formed through C-atom addition to a CO molecule, followed by successive hydrogenation transferring the formed :CCO into ketene. Efficient formation of ketene is in line with the absence of an activation barrier in C+CO reaction reported in the literature. We also discuss and provide experimental evidence for the formation of acetaldehyde (CH3CHO) and possible formation of ethanol (CH3CH2OH), two COM derivatives of CH2CO hydrogenation. The underlying reaction network is presented and the astrochemical implications of the derived pathways are discussed.