| 1. |
- Yang, B., et al.
(author)
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Exploring high-energy doubly excited states of NH by dissociative recombination of NH
- 2014
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In: Journal of Physics B. - : IOP Publishing. - 0953-4075 .- 1361-6455. ; 47:3, s. 035201-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We have investigated electron capture by NH+ resulting in dissociative recombination (DR). The impact energies studied of similar to 4-12 eV extend over the range below the two lowest predicted NH+ dissociative states in the Franck-Condon (FC) region of the ion. Our focus has been on the final state populations of the resulting N and H atoms. The neutral DR fragments are detected downstream of a merged electron and ion beam interaction zone in the TSR storage ring, which is located at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, Germany. Transverse fragment distances were measured on a recently developed high count-rate imaging detector. The distance distributions enabled a detailed tracking of the final state populations as a function of the electron collision energy. These can be correlated with doubly excited neutral states in the FC region of the ion. At low electron energy of similar to 5 eV, the atomic product final levels are nitrogen Rydberg states together with ground-state hydrogen. In a small electron energy interval near 7 eV, a significant part of the final state population forms hydrogen Rydberg atoms with nitrogen atoms in the first excited (D-2) term, showing the effect of Rydberg doubly excited states below the predicted 2(2)Pi ionic potential. The distance distributions above similar to 10 eV are compatible with nitrogen Rydberg states correlating to the doubly excited Rydberg state manifold below the ionic 2(4) Sigma(-) level.
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| 2. |
- Novotny, O., et al.
(author)
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Dissociative Recombination Measurements of Chloronium Ions (D2Cl+) Using an Ion Storage Ring
- 2018
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In: Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 862:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report our plasma rate coefficient and branching ratio measurements for dissociative recombination (DR) of D2Cl+ with electrons. The studies were performed in a merged-beams configuration using the TSR heavy-ion storage ring located at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, Germany. Starting with our absolute merged-beams recombination rate coefficient at a collision energy of approximate to 0 eV, we have extracted the cross section and produced a plasma rate coefficient for a translational temperature of approximate to 8 K. Furthermore, extrapolating our cross-section results using the typical low-energy DR behavior, we have generated a plasma rate coefficient for translational temperatures from 5 to 500 K. We find good agreement between our extrapolated results and previous experimental DR studies on D2Cl+. Additionally, we have investigated the three fragmentation channels for DR of D2Cl+. Here we report on the dissociation geometry of the three-body fragmentation channel, the kinetic energy released for each of the three outgoing channels, the molecular internal excitation for the two outgoing channels that produce molecular fragments, and the fragmentation branching ratios for all three channels. Our results, in combination with those of other groups, indicate that any remaining uncertainties in the DR rate coefficient for H2Cl+ appear unlikely to explain the observed discrepancies between the inferred abundances of HCl and H2Cl+ in molecular clouds and predictions from astrochemical models.
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| 3. |
- Novotny, O., et al.
(author)
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DISSOCIATIVE RECOMBINATION MEASUREMENTS OF HCl+ USING AN ION STORAGE RING
- 2013
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In: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 777:1, s. 54-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We have measured dissociative recombination (DR) of HCl+ with electrons using a merged beams configuration at the TSR heavy-ion storage ring located at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, Germany. We present the measured absolute merged beams recombination rate coefficient for collision energies from 0 to 4.5 eV. We have also developed a new method for deriving the cross section from the measurements. Our approach does not suffer from approximations made by previously used methods. The cross section was transformed to a plasma rate coefficient for the electron temperature range from T = 10 to 5000 K. We show that the previously used HCl+ DR data underestimate the plasma rate coefficient by a factor of 1.5 at T = 10 K and overestimate it by a factor of three at T = 300 K. We also find that the new data may partly explain existing discrepancies between observed abundances of chlorine-bearing molecules and their astrochemical models.
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| 4. |
- Novotný, O., et al.
(author)
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DISSOCIATIVE RECOMBINATION MEASUREMENTS OF NH+ USING AN ION STORAGE RING
- 2014
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In: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 792:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We have investigated dissociative recombination (DR) of NH+ with electrons using a merged beams configuration at the TSR heavy-ion storage ring located at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, Germany. We present our measured absolute merged-beams recombination rate coefficient for collision energies from 0 to 12 eV. From these data, we have extracted a cross section, which we have transformed to a plasma rate coefficient for the collisional plasma temperature range from T-p1 = 10 to 18,000 K. We show that the NH+ DR rate coefficient data in current astrochemical models are underestimated by up to a factor of approximately nine. Our new data will result in predicted NH+ abundances lower than those calculated by present models. This is in agreement with the sensitivity limits of all observations attempting to detect NH+ in interstellar clouds.
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| 5. |
- Amador, Elena S., et al.
(author)
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Synchronous in-field application of life-detection techniques in planetary analog missions
- 2015
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In: Planetary and Space Science. - : PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD. - 0032-0633 .- 1873-5088. ; 106, s. 1-10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Field expeditions that simulate the operations of robotic planetary exploration missions at analog sites on Earth can help establish best practices and are therefore a positive contribution to the planetary exploration community. There are many sites in Iceland that possess heritage as planetary exploration analog locations and whose environmental extremes make them suitable for simulating scientific sampling and robotic operations. We conducted a planetary exploration analog mission at two recent lava fields in Iceland, Fimmvorouhals (2010) and Eldfell (1973), using a specially developed field laboratory. We tested the utility of in-field site sampling down selection and tiered analysis operational capabilities with three life detection and characterization techniques: fluorescence microscopy (FM), adenine-triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence assay, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay. The study made use of multiple cycles of sample collection at multiple distance scales and field laboratory analysis using the synchronous fife-detection techniques to heuristically develop the continuing sampling and analysis strategy during the expedition. Here we report the operational lessons learned and provide brief summaries of scientific data. The full scientific data report will follow separately. We found that rapid in-field analysis to determine subsequent sampling decisions is operationally feasible, and that the chosen life detection and characterization techniques are suitable for a terrestrial life-detection field mission. In-field analysis enables the rapid obtainment of scientific data and thus facilitates the collection of the most scientifically relevant samples within a single field expedition, without the need for sample relocation to external laboratories. The operational lessons learned in this study could be applied to future terrestrial field expeditions employing other analytical techniques and to future robotic planetary exploration missions.
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| 6. |
- Andersson, Patrik U, 1970, et al.
(author)
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Formation of Highly Rovibrationally Excited Ammonia from Dissociative Recombination of NH4
- 2010
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In: Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7185. ; 1:17, s. 2519-2523
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The internal energy distribution of ammonia formed in the dissociative recombination (DR) of NH4+ with electrons has been studied by an imaging technique at the ion storage ring CRYRING. The DR process resulted in the formation of NH3 + H (0.90 ± 0.01), with minor contributions from channels producing NH2 + H2 (0.05 ± 0.01) and NH2 + 2H (0.04 ± 0.02). The formed NH3 molecules were highly internally excited, with a mean rovibrational energy of 3.3 ± 0.4 eV, which corresponds to 70% of the energy released in the neutralization process. The internal energy distribution was semiquantitatively reproduced by ab initio direct dynamics simulations, and the calculations suggested that the NH3 molecules are highly vibrationally excited while rotational excitation is limited. The high internal excitation and the translational energy of NH3 and H will influence their subsequent reactivity, an aspect that should be taken into account when developing detailed models of the interstellar medium and ammonia-containing plasmas.
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| 7. |
- Best, T., et al.
(author)
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ABSOLUTE PHOTODETACHMENT CROSS-SECTION MEASUREMENTS FOR HYDROCARBON CHAIN ANIONS
- 2011
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In: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 742:2, s. 63-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Absolute photodetachment cross sections have been measured for the hydrocarbon chain anions C(n)H(-), n = 2, 4, and 6, which are relevant for an understanding of molecular clouds in the interstellar medium. Data have been obtained for different photon energies within approximately 1 eV of the detachment threshold. With our recently developed method we have achieved a precision of better than 25% on these absolute cross sections. The experiments have been carried out by means of photodetachment tomography of the mass-selected molecular anions in a multipole radio-frequency ion trap. The measured absolute cross sections are in accordance with the empirical scaling law of Millar et al. and have allowed us to determine its free parameters. These results are important for predicting the photostability and thus the abundance of carbon chain anions in planetary atmospheres, in circumstellar envelopes, and in photon-dominated regions of interstellar molecular clouds.
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| 8. |
- Calabrese, Camilla, et al.
(author)
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Acrylic acid (CH2CHCOOH) : the rotational spectrum in the millimetre range up to 397 GHz
- 2015
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In: Molecular Physics. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0026-8976 .- 1362-3028. ; 113:15-16, s. 2290-2295
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In order to facilitate its detection in astronomical observations, the measurement of the rotational spectrum of acrylic acid has been extended to 397 GHz using a free space cell at room temperature. 295 new lines were assigned to the s-cis conformer and 286 new lines to the s-trans conformer of acrylic acid. Using the determined experimental parameters, the predictions of the rotational transition frequencies up to 900 GHz and their intensities were obtained at temperatures of 100 and 200 K and at room temperature. Based on these predictions, a search of the most intense transitions of acrylic acid in star-forming regions was performed using published data from the HERSCHEL Science Archive. No lines were found but the possibility of observing rotational transitions of acrylic acid in astronomical objects is discussed.
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| 9. |
- Calabrese, C., et al.
(author)
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Laboratory rotational spectrum of acrylic acid and its isotopologues in the 6-18.5 GHz and 52-74.4 GHz frequency ranges
- 2014
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In: Journal of Molecular Spectroscopy. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-2852 .- 1096-083X. ; 295, s. 37-43
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In order to facilitate the detection of acrylic acid in space, for which a possible mechanism of formation is proposed, we extended the measurements of the rotational spectrum of this molecule to the 6-18.5 GHz (time domain Fourier transform) and 52-74.4 GHz (frequency domain) ranges in supersonic expansions. 77 new lines were assigned to the s-cis conformer and 83 new lines to the s-trans conformer. In addition, the rotational spectra of the three single C-13 isotopologues have been measured in natural abundance for both conformers. High resolution measurements of the carboxylic deuterated isotopologues allowed for the determination of the deuterium nuclear quadrupole coupling constants. All the spectroscopic experimental parameters were compared to the ones obtained with quantum chemical methods at the MP2(fc)/aug-cc-pVTZ and B3LYP/aug-cc-pVTZ levels of calculation.
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| 10. |
- Calabrese, Camilla, et al.
(author)
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Millimeter Wave Spectrum of the Weakly Bound Complex CH2=CHCN center dot H2O : Structure, Dynamics, and Implications for Astronomical Search
- 2015
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In: Journal of Physical Chemistry A. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1089-5639 .- 1520-5215. ; 119:48, s. 11674-11682
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The weakly bound 1:1 complex between acrylonitrile (CH2=-CHCN) and water has been characterized spectroscopically in the millimeter wave range (59.6-74.4 GHz) using a Free Jet Absorption Millimeter Wave spectrometer. Precise values of the rotational and quartic centrifugal distortion constants have been obtained from the measured frequencies of the normal and isotopically substituted water moiety (DOH, DOD, (HOH)-O-18). Structural parameters have been estimated from the rotational constants and their differences among isotopologues: the complex has a planar structure with the two subunits held together by a O-H center dot center dot center dot N (2.331(3) angstrom) and a C- H center dot center dot center dot O (2.508(4) angstrom) interaction. The ab initio intermolecular binding energy, obtained at the counterpoise corrected MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ level of calculation, is D-e = 24.4 kJ mol(-1)
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