Proyecto de Investigación: FIS2016-77578-R
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FIS2016-77578-R
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INFRA-ICE: An ultra-high vacuum experimental station for laboratory astrochemistry
(American Institute of Physics, 2020-12-02) Santoro, G.; Sobrado, J. M.; Tajuelo Castilla, G.; Accolla, M.; Martínez, L.; Azpeitia, J.; Lauwaet, K.; Cernicharo, J.; Ellis, G. J.; Martín Gago, J. A.; European Commission (EC); Spanish Research Agency (AEI); Comunidad de Madrid; Castilla, G. [0000-0001-7877-2543]; Cernicharo, J. [0000-0002-3518-2524]; Martín Gago, J. A. [0000-0003-2663-491X]; Santoro, G. [0000-0003-4751-2209]; Martínez Orellana, L. [0000-0002-9370-2962]; Sobrado, J. M. [0000-0002-7359-0262]; Ellis, G. [0000-0003-4851-6092]
Laboratory astrochemistry aims at simulating, in the laboratory, some of the chemical and physical processes that operate in different regions of the universe. Amongst the diverse astrochemical problems that can be addressed in the laboratory, the evolution of cosmic dust grains in different regions of the interstellar medium (ISM) and its role in the formation of new chemical species through catalytic processes present significant interest. In particular, the dark clouds of the ISM dust grains are coated by icy mantles and it is thought that the ice-dust interaction plays a crucial role in the development of the chemical complexity observed in space. Here, we present a new ultra-high vacuum experimental station devoted to simulating the complex conditions of the coldest regions of the ISM. The INFRA-ICE machine can be operated as a standing alone setup or incorporated in a larger experimental station called Stardust, which is dedicated to simulate the formation of cosmic dust in evolved stars. As such, INFRA-ICE expands the capabilities of Stardust allowing the simulation of the complete journey of cosmic dust in space, from its formation in asymptotic giant branch stars to its processing and interaction with icy mantles in molecular clouds. To demonstrate some of the capabilities of INFRA-ICE, we present selected results on the ultraviolet photochemistry of undecane (C11H24) at 14 K. Aliphatics are part of the carbonaceous cosmic dust, and recently, aliphatics and short n-alkanes have been detected in situ in the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
Using radio astronomical receivers for molecular spectroscopic characterization in astrochemical laboratory simulations: A proof of concept
(EDP Science, 2017-12-22) Tanarro, I.; Alemán, Belén; De Vicente, P.; Gallego, J. D.; Pardo, Juan R.; Santoro, G.; Lauwaet, K.; Tercero, Felix; Díaz Pulido, A.; Moreno, E.; Agúndez, Marcelino; Goicoechea, J. R.; Sobrado, J. M.; López, J. A.; Martínez, L.; Doménech, Jose Luis; Herrero, V. J.; Hernández, J. M.; Peláez, R. J.; López Pérez, Jose A.; Gómez González, J.; Alonso, J. L.; Jiménez, Elena; Teyssier, D.; Makasheva, Kremena; Castellanos, Marcelo; Joblin, C.; Martín Gago, J. A.; Cernicharo, J.; Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO)
We present a proof of concept on the coupling of radio astronomical receivers and spectrometers with chemical reactors and the performances of the resulting setup for spectroscopy and chemical simulations in laboratory astrophysics. Several experiments including cold plasma generation and UV photochemistry were performed in a 40 cm long gas cell placed in the beam path of the Aries 40 m radio telescope receivers operating in the 41–49 GHz frequency range interfaced with fast Fourier transform spectrometers providing 2 GHz bandwidth and 38 kHz resolution. The impedance matching of the cell windows has been studied using different materials. The choice of the material and its thickness was critical to obtain a sensitivity identical to that of standard radio astronomical observations. Spectroscopic signals arising from very low partial pressures of CH3OH, CH3CH2OH, HCOOH, OCS, CS, SO2 (<10-3 mbar) were detected in a few seconds. Fast data acquisition was achieved allowing for kinetic measurements in fragmentation experiments using electron impact or UV irradiation. Time evolution of chemical reactions involving OCS, O2 and CS2 was also observed demonstrating that reactive species, such as CS, can be maintained with high abundance in the gas phase during these experiments.
Precisely controlled fabrication, manipulation and in-situ analysis of Cu based nanoparticles
(Nature, 2018-05-08) Martínez, Lidia; Lauwaet, K.; Santoro, G.; Sobrado, J. M.; Peláez, R. J.; Herrero, V. J.; Tanarro, I.; Ellis, G. J.; Cernicharo, J.; Joblin, C.; Huttel, Y.; Martín-Gago, J. A.; Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA); Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO); European Commission (EC); Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI)
The increasing demand for nanostructured materials is mainly motivated by their key role in a wide variety of technologically relevant fields such as biomedicine, green sustainable energy or catalysis. We have succeeded to scale-up a type of gas aggregation source, called a multiple ion cluster source, for the generation of complex, ultra-pure nanoparticles made of different materials. The high production rates achieved (tens of g/day) for this kind of gas aggregation sources, and the inherent ability to control the structure of the nanoparticles in a controlled environment, make this equipment appealing for industrial purposes, a highly coveted aspect since the introduction of this type of sources. Furthermore, our innovative UHV experimental station also includes in-flight manipulation and processing capabilities by annealing, acceleration, or interaction with background gases along with in-situ characterization of the clusters and nanoparticles fabricated. As an example to demonstrate some of the capabilities of this new equipment, herein we present the fabrication of copper nanoparticles and their processing, including the controlled oxidation (from Cu0 to CuO through Cu2O, and their mixtures) at different stages in the machine.
The Chemistry of Cosmic Dust Analogs from C, C2, and C2H2 in C-rich Circumstellar Envelopes
(The Institute of Physics (IOP), 2020-06-02) Santoro, G.; Martínez, L.; Lauwaet, K.; Accolla, M.; Tajuelo Castilla, G.; Merino, P.; Sobrado, J. M.; Peláez, R. J.; Herrero, V. J.; Tanarro, I.; Mayoral, Á.; Agúndez, Marcelino; Sabbah, H.; Joblin, C.; Cernicharo, J.; Martín Gago, J. A.; European Commission (EC); Comunidad de Madrid; Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO); Santorio, G. [0000-0003-4751-2209]; Accolla, M. [0000-0002-9509-5967]; Agúndez, M. [0000-0003-3248-3564]; Sabbah, H. [0000-0001-5722-4388]; Joblin, C. [0000-0003-1561-6118]; Cernicharo, J. [0000-0002-3518-2524]; Martín Gago, J. M. [0000-0003-2663-491X]; Unidad de Excelencia Científica María de Maeztu Centro de Astrobiología del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial y CSIC, MDM-2017-0737
Interstellar carbonaceous dust is mainly formed in the innermost regions of circumstellar envelopes around carbon-rich asymptotic giant branch stars (AGBs). In these highly chemically stratified regions, atomic and diatomic carbon, along with acetylene, are the most abundant species after H and CO. In a previous study, we addressed the chemistry of carbon (C and C) with H showing that acetylene and aliphatic species form efficiently in the dust formation region of carbon-rich AGBs whereas aromatics do not. Still, acetylene is known to be a key ingredient in the formation of linear polyacetylenic chains, benzene, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), as shown by previous experiments. However, these experiments have not considered the chemistry of carbon (C and C) with CH. In this work, by employing a sufficient amount of acetylene, we investigate its gas-phase interaction with atomic and diatomic carbon. We show that the chemistry involved produces linear polyacetylenic chains, benzene, and other PAHs, which are observed with high abundances in the early evolutionary phase of planetary nebulae. More importantly, we have found a nonnegligible amount of pure and hydrogenated carbon clusters as well as aromatics with aliphatic substitutions, both being a direct consequence of the addition of atomic carbon. The incorporation of alkyl substituents into aromatics can be rationalized by a mechanism involving hydrogen abstraction followed by methyl addition. All the species detected in the gas phase are incorporated into nanometric-sized dust analogs, which consist of a complex mixture of sp, sp, and sp hydrocarbons with amorphous morphology.
Mimicking the Martian Hydrological Cycle: A Set-Up to Introduce Liquid Water in Vacuum
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2020-10-29) Sobrado, J. M.; Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA); Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO); Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI)
Liquid water is well known as the life ingredient as a solvent. However, so far, it has only been found in liquid state on this planetary surface. The aim of this experiment and technological development was to test if a moss sample is capable of surviving in Martian conditions. We built a system that simulates the environmental conditions of the red planet including its hydrological cycle. This laboratory facility enables us to control the water cycle in its three phases through temperature, relative humidity, hydration, and pressure with a system that injects water droplets into a vacuum chamber. We successfully simulated the daytime and nighttime of Mars by recreating water condensation and created a layer of superficial ice that protects the sample against external radiation and minimizes the loss of humidity due to evaporation to maintain a moss sample in survival conditions in this extreme environment. We performed the simulations with the design and development of different tools that recreate Martian weather in the MARTE simulation chamber.
