Photoelectron spectroscopy and dissociative photoionization of fulminic acid, HCNO

We report a joint experimental and computational study of the photoelectron spectroscopy and the dissociative photoionization of fulminic acid, HCNO. The molecule is of interest to astrochemistry and astrobiology as a potential precursor of prebiotic molecules. Synchrotron radiation was used as the photon source. Dispersive photoelectron spectra were recorded from 10~eV to 22~eV, covering four band systems in the HCNO cation and an ionization energy of 10.83~eV was determined. Transitions into the Renner-Teller distorted $X^+{}^2\Pi$ state of the cation were simulated using wavepacket dynamics based on a vibronic coupling Hamiltonian. Very good agreement between experiment and theory is obtained. While the first excited state of the cation shows only a broad and unstructured spectrum, the next two higher states exhibit a well-resolved vibrational progression. Transitions into the excited electronic states of \cation{HCNO}{+} were not simulated, due to the large number of electronic states that contribute to these transitions. Nevertheless, a qualitative assignment is given, based on the character of the orbitals involved in the transitions. The dissociative photoionization was investigated by photoelectron-photoion coincidence spectroscopy. The breakdown diagram shows evidence for isomerization from \cation{HCNO}{+} to \cation{HNCO}{+} on the cationic potential energy surface. Zero Kelvin appearance energies for the daughter ions \cation{HCO}{+} and \cation{NCO}{+} have been derived

On a possible new R^2 theory of supergravity

We consider a new MacDowell-Mansouri R^2-type of supergravity theory, an extension of conformal supergravity, based on the superalgebra Osp(1|8). Invariance under local symmetries with negative Weyl weight is achieved by imposing chirality-duality and double-duality constraints on curvatures, along with the usual constraint of vanishing supertorsion. An analysis of the remaining gauge symmetries shows that those with vanishing Weyl weight are invariances of the action at the linearized level. For the symmetries with positive Weyl weight we find that invariance of the action would require further modifications of the transformation rules. This conclusion is supported by a kinematical analysis of the closure of the gauge algebra.Comment: 52 pages, Late

Die Bildung von PAHs in extremen Bedingungen - eine IR/UV Doppelresonanz-spektroskopische Untersuchung

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are considered as key building blocks in the formation of carbonaceous particles such as soot. In our immediate surroundings, they are mainly generated in incomplete combustion processes and are further considered as carriers of the Unidentified Infrared Bands which are detected in a wide variety of astrophysical envelopes in the interstellar medium. Currently, astrochemical as well as combustion related models favour small resonance stabilized radicals (RSR) as major contributors to PAHs in sequential reactions. Therefore, we generated two RSR under well-defined conditions to investigate their contribution to PAH formation in a pyrolysis microreactor. The various reaction products were identified by IR/UV ion dip spectroscopy which combines the mass-selectivity of UV light with the structural sensitivity of IR radiation. Finally, we investigated the intermolecular interactions in azaphenanthrene dimers in combination with high-level theoretical calculations and found a preferential formation of pi-stacked van der Waals cluster in a molecular jet expansion.Polyzyklische Aromatische Kohlenwasserstoffe (PAKs) gelten als Schlüsselbausteine in der Bildung von kohlenstoffhaltigen Partikeln wie etwa Ruß. Dabei treten sie in unserer unmittelbaren Umgebung als wichtige Intermediate in unvollständigen Verbrennungsprozessen auf, wobei sie zudem als Träger der sogenannten Unidentified Infrared Bands gelten, die in einer Vielzahl von astrophysikalischen Umgebungen im interstellaren Raum beobachtet werden. Bisher gehen astrochemische sowie verbrennungsbasierte Modelle davon aus, dass resonanzstabilisierte Radikale (RSR) einen signifikanten Beitrag in sequenziellen Reaktionen zu ihrer Bildung leisten. Aus diesem Grund haben wir zwei Vertreter dieser Verbindungsklasse unter wohldefinierten Bedingungen erzeugt und ihren Beitrag zu PAK-Bildung im Pyrolysereaktor untersucht. Mit Hilfe der IR/UV Ion Dip Spektroskopie konnte eine Vielzahl an Hochtemperatur-Produkten identifiziert werden, die im Reaktor in bimolekularen Reaktionen gebildet wurden. Dabei vereint die IR/UV Spektroskopie die Massenselektivität der UV-Lichts mit der Struktursensitivität der IR-Strahlung. Zuletzt konnten die intermolekularen Wechselwirkungen in Azaphenanthren Dimeren in Kombination mit theoretischen Rechnungen bestimmt werden und eine bevorzugte Bildung von pi-gestapelten van der Waals Cluster in einer Molekularstrahlexpansion identifiziert werden

IR/UV Double Resonance Study of the 2-Phenylallyl Radical and its Pyrolysis Products

Isolated 2-phenylallyl radicals (2-PA), generated by pyrolysis from a nitrite precursor, have been investigated by IR/UV ion dip spectroscopy using free electron laser radiation. 2-PA is a resonance-stabilized radical that is considered to be involved in the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in combustion, but also in interstellar space. The radical is identified based on its gas-phase IR spectrum. Furthermore, a number of bimolecular reaction products are identified, showing that the self-reaction as well as reactions with unimolecular decomposition products of 2-PA form several PAH efficiently. Possible mechanisms are discussed and the chemistry of 2-PA is compared with the one of the related 2-methylallyl and phenylpropargyl radicals

X-ray induced fragmentation of fulminic acid, HCNO

Financial support by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Contract No. FI 575/13-2, is gratefully acknowledged. This work was performed on the PLEIADES beamline under Proposal No. 20210814. We acknowledge SOLEIL for provision of synchrotron radiation facilities and thank the PLEIADES beamline team for their assistance

IR/UV Double Resonance Study of the 2-Phenylallyl Radical and its Pyrolysis Products

Isolated 2-phenylallyl radicals (2-PA), generated by pyrolysis from a nitrite precursor, have been investigated by IR/UV ion dip spectroscopy using free electron laser radiation. 2-PA is a resonance-stabilized radical that is considered to be involved in the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in combustion, but also in interstellar space. The radical is identified based on its gas-phase IR spectrum. Furthermore, a number of bimolecular reaction products are identified, showing that the self-reaction as well as reactions with unimolecular decomposition products of 2-PA form several PAH efficiently. Possible mechanisms are discussed and the chemistry of 2-PA is compared with the one of the related 2-methylallyl and phenylpropargyl radicals