Characterization of kinetics and chemical equilibrium of astrophysical ices under ionizing radiation and their implications in astrochemistry and astrobiology using experimental data and computational modeling.

• Grant number: 24/05115-5
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2024
• End date: August 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Astronomy - Astrophysics of the Interstellar Medium
• Principal Investigator: Sergio Pilling Guapyassu de Oliveira
• Grantee: Sergio Pilling Guapyassu de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Instituto de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento (IP&D). Universidade do Vale do Paraíba (UNIVAP). São José dos Campos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Molecules in space environments are exposed to ionizing agents, leading to ionization, dissociation, desorption of ice into gas phase, and other chemical reactions. Ionizing radiation on molecules condensed in cold environments (astrophysical ices) can form complex species, such as amino acids and nitrogenous bases, important for astrobiology and the origin of life. Understanding the formation, presence, and survival of these molecules in the interstellar medium, comets, and planetary atmospheres is fundamental.In this project, we will experimentally investigate the effects of radiation on astrophysical ices, simulating different scenarios of the interstellar medium and the solar system, with an emphasis on the chemical equilibrium phase in irradiated ices. The requested resources aim to update the equipment of the LASA (e.g. purchase of computers for calculations) laboratory and allow the researcher's participation in irradiation experiments of astrophysical ices at GANIL, France.The researcher is the PI of a research project at GANIL, with experiments scheduled for June 2024, and more experiments are being planned for 2025. It is important to highlight that the ongoing collaboration with researchers from the GANIL laboratory has resulted in several high-impact publications over the last 14 yearsThe project includes experimental and computational stages, using the PROCODA program for modeling. The investigations will provide insights into the physicochemical conditions of astrophysical objects, the origin of life, and the presence of new chemical species in space ices, relevant for observations by telescopes such as ALMA and James Webb. (AU)