Experimental studies of the effect of energetic processing on astrophysical relevant materials

Abstract

The knowledge on the physical and chemical properties of astrophysical bodies, such as planets, comets, asteroids and meteorites, together with primordial matter in star-forming regions, derives from the comparison between astronomical observations and laboratory experiments and models that try to simulate their formation and the harsh conditions they experience in space. In the last decades, the role of many laboratories for experimental astrophysics has been fundamental to interpret astronomical data and, as an example, to spread light on the molecular synthesis reproducing the conditions under which astrochemistry occurs in space or on planetary surfaces. This thesis reports laboratory experiments that have been performed in order to interpret astronomical observation acquired toward star-forming regions where solid-phase matter is found, to better understand its chemical-physical nature. All the experiments were performed at the Laboratorio di Astrofisica Sperimentale (LASp) at INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Catania. Samples have been analysed by means of infrared and Raman spectroscopy. This thesis is divided into seven chapters. Chapter I: Introduction; Chapter II: Combined infred and Raman spectroscopy on solid CO; Chapter III; On the detection of deuterated water in icy grain mantles: constrains from laboratory experiments; Chapter IV: Synthesis of formamide and isocyanic acid after ion irradiation of frozen gas mixtures; Chapter V: Infrared study on the thermal evolution of solid state formamide; Chapter VI: C2O and C3O in star-forming regions; Chapter VII: Conclusions.