SURFRESIDE2: An ultrahigh vacuum system for the investigation of surface reaction routes of interstellar interest
Abstract
A new ultrahigh vacuum experiment is described to study atom and radical addition reactions in interstellar ice analogues for astronomically relevant temperatures. The new setup – SURFace REaction SImulation DEvice (SURFRESIDE2) – allows a systematic investigation of solid state pathways resulting in the formation of molecules of astrophysical interest. The implementation of a double beam line makes it possible to expose deposited ice molecules to different atoms and/or radicals sequentially or at the same time. Special efforts are made to perform experiments under fully controlled laboratory conditions, including precise atom flux determinations, in order to characterize reaction channels quantitatively. In this way, we can compare and combine different surface reaction channels with the aim to unravel the solid state processes at play in space. Results are constrained in situ by means of a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and a quadrupole mass spectrometer using reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy and temperature programmed desorption, respectively. The performance of the new setup is demonstrated on the example of carbon dioxide formation by comparing the efficiency through two different solid state channels (CO + OH → CO_2 + H and CO + O → CO_2) for which different addition products are needed. The potential of SURFRESIDE2 to study complex molecule formation, including nitrogen containing (prebiotic) compounds, is discussed.
Additional Information
© 2013 AIP Publishing LLC. Received 4 March 2013; accepted 8 July 2013; published online 24 July 2013. The experimental apparatus was made in collaboration with the fine machine workshop FMD/ELD of the Faculty of Science of Leiden University. In particular, we are grateful to M. J. A. Witlox for his technical support. This research has received funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under Grant Agreement No. 238258, the Netherlands Research School for Astronomy (NOVA), the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) through a VICI grant, and within the Dutch Astrochemistry Network. Support for S.I. from the Niels Stensen Fellowship and the Marie Curie Fellowship (FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IOP-300957) is gratefully acknowledged.Attached Files
Published - RevSciInstrum_84_073112.pdf
Files
Name | Size | Download all |
---|---|---|
md5:3569256f6f3b0db50d9877e8d150e916
|
2.4 MB | Preview Download |
Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 41076
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20130904-090941912
- 238258
- European Community Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013)
- Netherlands Research School for Astronomy (NOVA)
- Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) VICI Grant
- Dutch Astrochemistry Network
- Niels Stensen Fellowship
- FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IOP-300957
- Marie Curie Fellowship
- Created
-
2013-09-18Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
-
2021-11-10Created from EPrint's last_modified field