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Laboratory simulation of the photoprocessing and warm-up of cometary and pre-cometary ices - Production and analysis of complex organic moleculesThe recent missions to Comet Halley detected large quantities of organic material on grains as well as organic molecules in the gas phase. A possible origin of these materials is the energetic processing of ice mantles on the grains prior to comet formation, either in the pre-solar nebula or the interstellar medium. This process was simulated in the laboratory by depositing interstellar ice analogs (H2O/CH3OH/CO/NH3) on a cold (10 K) substrate with simultaneous UV irradiation. The material evaporating during warm-up of the photolyzed ice as well as the residue remaining at room temperature was analyzed by a number of techniques. It was found that a large number of organic molecules of various complexity are synthesized during the simulation process, stressing the possible significance of UV photolysis for producing the organic Comet material.
Document ID
19920038315
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Schutte, W. A.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Allamandola, L. J.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Sandford, S. A.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 15, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1992
Publication Information
Publication: Advances in Space Research
Volume: 12
Issue: 4, 19
ISSN: 0273-1177
Subject Category
Astrophysics
Accession Number
92A20939
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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