Hydrogenation of solid hydrogen cyanide HCN and methanimine CH2NH at low temperature

International audienceContext. Hydrogenation reactions dominate grain surface chemistry in dense molecular clouds and lead to the formation of complex saturated molecules in the interstellar medium. Aims. We investigate in the laboratory the hydrogenation reaction network of hydrogen cyanide HCN. Methods. Pure hydrogen cyanide HCN and methanimine CH2NH ices are bombarded at room temperature by H-atoms in an ultra-high vacuum experiment. Warm H-atoms are generated in an H2 plasma source. The ices are monitored with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy in reflection absorption mode. The hydrogenation products are detected in the gas phase by mass spectroscopy during temperature-programmed desorption experiments. Results. HCN hydrogenation leads to the formation of methylamine CH3NH2, and CH2NH hydrogenation leads to the formation of methylamine CH3NH2, suggesting that CH2NH can be a hydrogenation-intermediate species between HCN and CH3NH2. Conclusions. In cold environments the HCN hydrogenation reaction can produce CH3NH2, which is known to be a glycine precursor, and to destroy solid-state HCN, preventing its observation in molecular clouds ices

Grain Surface Models and Data for Astrochemistry

AbstractThe cross-disciplinary field of astrochemistry exists to understand the formation, destruction, and survival of molecules in astrophysical environments. Molecules in space are synthesized via a large variety of gas-phase reactions, and reactions on dust-grain surfaces, where the surface acts as a catalyst. A broad consensus has been reached in the astrochemistry community on how to suitably treat gas-phase processes in models, and also on how to present the necessary reaction data in databases; however, no such consensus has yet been reached for grain-surface processes. A team of ∼25 experts covering observational, laboratory and theoretical (astro)chemistry met in summer of 2014 at the Lorentz Center in Leiden with the aim to provide solutions for this problem and to review the current state-of-the-art of grain surface models, both in terms of technical implementation into models as well as the most up-to-date information available from experiments and chemical computations. This review builds on the results of this workshop and gives an outlook for future directions

Kinetics of OCN- formation from the HNCO + NH3 solid-state thermal reaction

WOS:000303315400054International audienceContext. Solid-state features in infrared astronomical spectra can provide useful information on interstellar ices within different astrophysical environments. Solid OCN- has an absorption feature at 4.62 mu m, which is observed in star formation regions only with a large source-to-source abundance variation. Aims. We aim to investigate the thermal formation mechanism of solid OCN- from HNCO on the basis of kinetic arguments. Methods. We experimentally studied the kinetics of the low-temperature OCN- formation from the purely thermal reaction between HNCO and NH3 in interstellar ice analogs using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. We used a rate equation approach, a kinetic Monte Carlo approach and a gamma probability distribution approach to derive kinetic parameters from experimental data. Results. The kinetics can de divided into two-processes, a fast process corresponding to the chemical reaction, and a slow process that we interpret as the spatial orientation of the two reactants within the ice. The three approaches give the same results. The HNCO + NH3 ―\textgreater OCN- + NH4+ reaction rate follows an Arrhenius law with an activation energy of 0.4 +/- 0.1 kJ mol(-1) (48 +/- 12 K) and a pre-exponential factor of 0.0035 +/- 0.0015 s(-1). Conclusions. The present experiment has the important implication that the HNCO + NH3 reaction can account for the observed abundances of solid OCN- and the HNCO non detection in young stellar objects

Thermal reactions in interstellar ice: A step towards molecular complexity in the interstellar medium

International audienc

Kinetic studies on low-temperature solid-state reactions in interstellar ices

International audienc

The desorption of H2CO from interstellar grains analogues

WOS:000306597200005International audienceContext. Much of the formaldehyde (H2CO) is formed from the hydrogenation of CO on interstellar dust grains, and is released in the gas phase in hot core regions. Radio-astronomical observations in these regions are directly related to its desorption from grains. Aims. We study experimentally the thermal desorption of H2CO from bare silicate surfaces, from water ice surfaces and from bulk water ice in order to model its desorption from interstellar grains. Methods. Temperature-programmed desorption experiments, monitored by mass spectrometry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy are performed in the laboratory to determine the thermal desorption energies in: (i.) the multilayer regime where H2CO is bound to other H2CO molecules; (ii.) the submonolayer regime where H2CO is bound on top of a water ice surface; (iii.) the mixed submonolayer regime where H2CO is bound to a silicate surface; and (iv.) the multilayer regime in water ice, where H2CO is embedded within a H2O matrix. Results. In the submonolayer regime, we find the zeroth-order desorption kinetic parameters nu(0) = 10(28) mol cm(-2) s(-1) and E = 31.0 +/- 0.9 kJmol(-1) for desorption from an olivine surface. The zeroth-order desorption kinetic parameters are nu(0) = 10(28) mol cm(-2) s(-1) and E = 27.1 +/- 0.5 kJmol(-1) for desorption from a water ice surface in the submonolayer regime. In a H2CO:H2O mixture, the desorption is in competition with the H2CO + H2O reaction, which produces polyoxymethylene, the polymer of H2CO. This polymerization reaction prevents the volcano desorption and co-desorption from happening. Conclusions. H2CO is only desorbed from interstellar ices via a dominant sub-monolayer desorption process (E = 27.1 +/- 0.5 kJmol-1). The H2CO which has not desorbed during this sub-monolayer desorption polymerises upon reaction with H2O, and does not desorb as H2CO at higher temperature

The thermal reactivity of HCN and NH3 in interstellar ice analogues

International audienc

What are the intermediates that could react in the interstellar ices?

International audienc