HUN-REN Institute for Nuclear Research
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HUN-REN ATOMKI

Space Chemistry Research Group

Projects

Active Research Projects

NKKP-advanced_2024 Grant, No 151196

Systematic Studies of Astrophysical Ices and Materials within Simulated Space Enviroments

2025-2028, 120 MHUF

PI: Professor Nigel J. Mason

See the NKKP website

NKFIH OTKA, K_138594

Infrared spectroscopic and mineralogical studies of meteorites in connection with the European Minor Asteroid Probe

2021-2025, 47 MHUF

PI: Dr Ákos Keresztúri

See the OTKA website

Recent Large Scale Research Projects

The Europlanet 2024 Research Infrastructure (RI) offered free access to the world’s most extensive suite of planetary simulation and analytical facilities, data services and tools, a ground-based observational network, and a comprehensive programme of community support. Funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 programme, the project runs for four years—from February 2020 to July 2024. Coordinated by the University of Kent in the UK, the Europlanet 2024 RI consortium brought together more than 50 beneficiary institutions across 24 countries in Europe and beyond, along with 44 additional affiliated partners. The project worked closely with the Europlanet Society to disseminate its activities and results, and to foster a more diverse and inclusive user community.

Europlanet 2024 RI offered:

  • Transnational Access to 24 laboratories across Europe and seven planetary field analogue sites, with additional facilities in South Korea and China.
  • Virtual Access to a wide range of services and tools.
  • Networking activities that support the scientific community and enable rapid-response observations in support of planetary missions.

The Europlanet 2024 RI project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 871149, concluded in July 2024.

See the Europlanet website

The Transnational Access (TA) program of the Europlanet 2024 RI offered free access to the world’s largest network of planetary simulation and analytical facilities.

Researchers could benefit from access to seven Planetary Field Analogue (PFA) sites — ranging from Botswana to Iceland — designed to support current and upcoming missions to Mars, the Moon, and Jupiter’s icy moons. In addition, twenty-four Distributed Planetary Laboratory Facilities (DPLF) were available for simulating and analyzing planetary environments and materials.

Two of these laboratory facilities are located at the Institute for Nuclear Research (Atomki) in Hungary. Both are involved in the Transnational Access programme and are open to collaborative projects.

See ICA at Europlanet
See AQUILA at Europlanet

Successful Transnational Access Visits to the ICA Facility

20-EPN3-012: Probing Microscopic Mechanisms Behind Ice Processing by Cosmic Rays
Visit by Alexei Ivlev of Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) (Germany) to TA2.11 Atomki Ice Chamber for Astrophysics / Astrochemistry (ICA) (Hungary).

Dates of visit: 03-08 April 2024

Report Summary: The principal aim of the proposal was to conduct experimental studies of microscopic mechanisms controlling processing of astrophysical ices due to their bombardment by CRs. Specifically, based on indications obtained during our previous TA visit, we performed dedicated experiments on CO ices bombarded by protons with energies near and higher the electronic stopping power peak. The aim
was to investigate the scaling dependencies of the first radiolysis products with the stopping power,
and to compare those with the dependencies expected from existing radiolysis theories. We focused on studying accumulation of the first radiolysis products, such as C2O, CO2, C3O, and C3O2, at low proton fluences, where they show a linear growth.

The measured results exhibit an excellent scaling with the stopping power, which unambiguously indicates that the previously assumed radiolysis mechanisms, assuming transport of radiolysis products in ice, cannot operate in our case. Instead, our results suggest that reactions in ice occur in situ, and are caused by a combination of secondary ionization and excitation processes triggered in ice by the ejected electrons. Ab initio studies of chemical reactions between CO and ionized or electronically excited C3O2 molecules will be carried out in order to identify possible routes of in situ C3O formation.

Visit by Alessandra Candian and Annemieke Petrignani (University of Amsterdam, Netherlands) to TA2.11 Atomki Ice Chamber for Astrophysics / Astrochemistry (ICA) (Hungary).

Dates of visit: 4-8 March 2024

Report Summary: During this TNA visit, the three-ring PAH phenanthrene (C14H10), acetonitrile (CH3CN) and their 1:1 mixture were irradiated using 10 KeV protons. The subsequent products of this processing were then measured using infrared spectroscopy (5000-700 cm-1) and a quadrupole mass spectrometer.

The aim of these experiments was to investigate 1) if energetic processing can modify the structure of solid hydrocarbons and 2) if proton irradiation could trigger the formation of new species. During the visit to Atomki, the team collected infrared spectra of at different proton fluences and then following this, infrared spectra during temperature-programmed desorption (TPD). They also obtained the residues after TPD for ex-situ analysis. The preliminary results show a) the puckering of phenanthrene solid, b) the formation of ethanimine (C2H5N) in acetonitrile solid, c) a complex behaviour of the 1:1 mixture, with puckering and formation of new hydrocarbon species.

Full scientific report published by kind permission of Alessandra Candian and Annemieke Petrignani.

Visit by Alexis Bouquet (Aix-Marseilles University, France) to TA2.11 Atomki Ice Chamber for Astrophysics / Astrochemistry (ICA) (Hungary).

Dates of visit: 19-24 February 2024

Report Summary: Several of the icy moons of Jupiter possess a liquid water ocean under a thick icy crust. In the especially promising case of Europa, a young surface (>100 Myr), and likely recent cryovolcanicactivity (within the last 8 years) imply the presence of ocean material on the surface. Therefore, observations performed by space missions could determine the ocean’s composition, and derive indications on its potential habitability (presence of chemical gradients providing metabolic energy, quantity and composition of available organic matter…). Characterising Europa’s ocean and its possible habitability requires to understand processes that alter organic and inorganic molecules in this environment. These processes include the processing by energetic ions coming from Jupiter’s magnetosphere and hitting the surface.

In this project, Alexis Bouquet visited the Atomki facility to study the effect of sulfur ion bombardment on methanol, a species that could be indicative of key characteristics of the ocean, pure and within an ice matrix. The alteration of the sample was followed using infrared spectroscopy, and the resulting complex organic residues were retrieved for ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry.

Full scientific report published by kind permission of Alexis Bouquet.

Visit by Zuzana Kaňuchová (Astronomical Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovakia) and Tom Field (Queen’s University Belfast, UK) TA2.11 Atomki Ice Chamber for Astrophysics / Astrochemistry (ICA) (Hungary).

Dates of visit: 27 November – 8 December 2023

Report Summary: Despite being only the tenth most abundant element in space, sulfur is a component of several biomolecules, making it a key subject for astrochemistry studies. Sulfur containing molecules were observed in the solid phase on the surfaces of icy moons and in the icy mantles of interstellar grains. Despite the seemingly ubiquitous detection of sulfur-bearing species in space, the sulfur budget is still puzzling the scientific community. To address this, Zuzana Kaňuchová and Tom Field conducted an exploratory series of irradiation experiments to determine if species with thiol (-SH) groups may be formed in hydrocarbon-rich ices at temperatures relevant to interstellar matter, the surfaces of Solar System icy satellites, and Kuiper Belt objects.

They implanted 200 keV S+ ions in methane (CH4), ethane (C2H6), ethene (C2H4), and ethyne (C2H2) ices at 20 K and 60 K. Formation (and destruction) of species was monitored via FTIR spectroscopy and quadrupole mass spectrometry. Based on preliminary analysis performed during the TA they decided to conduct one extra (supplementary) experiment to explore the possibility of forming carbon and sulfur-bearing molecules by implanting high-energy carbon (750 keV) ions into hydrogen sulfide (H2S).
The preliminary analysis does not indicate the formation of thiols in the investigated hydrocarbon ices as a result of high-energy sulfur ions implantation. However, several new absorption bands appeared in the
spectra of all irradiated hydrocarbons, indicating the formation of various alkanes and alkenes. The emergence of a prominent band around ~1600 cm-1 could suggest the presence of carbon in an amorphous form.

Visit by Alicja Domaracka (CIMAP-CNRS, France) and Anna Bychkovato (Normandie Université, France) TA2.11 Atomki Ice Chamber for Astrophysics / Astrochemistry (ICA) (Hungary).

Dates of visit: 16-20 October 2023

Report Summary: Over the last decades it became clear that we live in a “molecular universe”. Carbon forms the basis of the majority of the molecular species that so far have been identified in space. Although small carbon-based molecules, like CO and CO2, are some of the most abundant molecules in space, only a small fraction of the carbon is expected to be locked up in such species. It was proposed that a large portion of the interstellar carbon, up to 20%, is built in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and fullerenes. There is a clear lack of information about interaction of energetic ions with pyrene in the solid phase.

In January 2022, Alicja Domaracka (CIMAP-CNRS, France) and Anna Bychkovato (Normandie Université) performed irradiations of pure pyrene 20 K by protons and carbon ions at the ATOMKI facility. Within the present TA, they studied pure pyrene ice at 20K irradiated with 6.4 MeV S3+, 4 MeV S2+, 2,4 MeV C2+, 400 KeV He+, 800 keV He+ and 800 keV H+ ion beams, respectively. In particular, we are interested in learning how the pyrene destruction cross sections depend on the projectile parameters (atomic number, energy).

Visit by Alejandra Traspas Muina, Queen Mary University of London (UK), to TA2.11 Atomki Ice Chamber for Astrophysics / Astrochemistry (ICA) (Hungary).

Dates of visit: 20 March – 2 April 2023

Report Summary: The experiments initially proposed aimed to investigate the formation and chemical evolution of both glycine and alanine under space relevant conditions. Following a systematic approach, the TA was divided into three projects carried out by a multidisciplinary group of scientist (chemists, biologists, astrophysicists and engineers): looking at (i) experimental insights into the microphysics of molecule destruction and sputtering of CO2 exposed to cosmic rays analogues; (ii) the formation of methyl formate and its isomers (glycolaldehyde and acetic acid) through the systematic irradiation of H2 CO:CO, H2 CO:CH4 , and H2 CO:CH3 OH ice mixtures with 1 MeV and 200 keV H+ ; (iii) and 1 MeV H+ irradiation of pure Glycine and Glycine:CH4 interstellar relevant ice mixtures, exploring the survivability and stability of this amino acid in astrophysical relevant environments.

The three projects were designed with incremental molecular complexity to investigate the chemistry of many precursors of simple amino acids. Moreover, the sub-projects were designed to be connected to other awarded TAs either at ICA or AQUILA (PIs: Ivlev, Ioppolo, and Hopkinson) in a synergic manner. For instance, the work of H2 CO completes the systematic study on methyl formate and its isomers, started at this Europlanet facility 2 years ago, trying to improve the understanding of the standing dichotomy on the formation of glycolaldehyde, methyl formate, and acetic acid. All these species are detected in space in star-forming regions and are considered prebiotic molecules.

Full scientific report published by kind permission of Alejandra Traspas Muina.

Virtual visit by Olivier Auriacombe, Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden), to TA2.11 Atomki Ice Chamber for Astrophysics / Astrochemistry (ICA) (Hungary).

Dates of visit: 20 June – 4 September 2022

Report Summary: The chemistry of sulphur in icy extra-terrestrial settings such as the dense interstellar medium and the outer Solar System remains poorly constrained. In particular, the chemical routes towards the formation of SO2 ice (and other volatile sulphur-bearing species) is not completely understood, despite the detection of this species in interstellar icy grain mantles, on the surface of Europa, and on comets. We have therefore explored the possibility of forming SO2 ice as a result of the irradiation of oxygen-bearing ices (including O2, CO, CO2, H2O, and CH3OH) deposited on top of pure elemental sulphur layers, both of which are known to exist in the dense interstellar medium and the outer Solar System where radiation chemistry may be engendered by galactic cosmic rays or the solar wind.

Our results demonstrate that SO2 may indeed be produced after the 1 MeV He+ ion irradiation of O2 and CO2 ices deposited on top of elemental sulphur, but not as a result of similar irradiations conducted using CO, H2O, or CH3OH ices. Other volatile radiation product species incorporating sulphur, such as CS2, OCS, and H2SO4, were also detected in different experiments. Our work should therefore contribute to a better understanding of solid-phase sulphur astrochemistry and the role of elemental sulphur in the formation of volatile sulphur-bearing species in icy extra-terrestrial settings.

Virtual visit by Duncan Mifsud, University of Kent (UK) to TA2.11 Atomki Ice Chamber for Astrophysics / Astrochemistry (ICA) (Hungary).

Dates of visit: 21-29 November 2022 and 18-20 January 2023

Report Summary: The surface of Europa is host to a rich radiation environment, in which ions from the giant Jovian magnetosphere drive physico-chemical transformations of surface ices and minerals. Although a number of previous studies have looked into the irradiation of surface ice analogues in order to better constrain the chemistry occurring on Europa, considerably fewer studies have investigated the radiation chemistry of plausible mineral analogues.

Therefore, in this study, we have irradiated four mineral species (halite, fayalite, epsomite, and berthierine) using 1 MeV H+ and 1 MeV S+ ions to better understand the dissociation pathways of these minerals and the associated radiolysis products. Our preliminary results have shown that irradiation brings about significant changes in the appearances of the minerals that signify alterations in the structures and chemical compositions. Further infrared, visible, and ultraviolet spectroscopic analyses of retained mineral samples (both irradiated and pristine) are planned for the near future.

Visit by Perry Hailey of the University of Kent (UK) to TA2.11 Atomki Ice Chamber for Astrophysics / Astrochemistry (ICA) (Hungary).

Dates of visit: 02-22 May 2022

Report Summary: Formamide (NH2CHO) is of astrobiological interest as it has been identified as a potential precursor to a wide variety of organic compounds essential to life, and many biochemical studies propose it is likely to play a crucial role in the context of the origin of life. Formamide contains an amide functional group which is the principal building block necessary to form chains of amino acids and proteins. Furthermore, it has been identified as a key precursor of a large variety of prebiotic molecules and in the presence of an energy source, it promotes the synthesis of adenine, guanine, cytosine, and uracil, which are the four nucleobases of ribonucleic acid or RNA; it is also a precursor of carboxylic acids, amino acids, and sugars. In summary, the chemical versatility of formamide can lead, under favorable conditions, to the synthesis of many molecules that are key constituents of living organisms. Several studies report the prebiotic synthesis of nucleobases from formamide under relatively warm conditions (i.e. near or above room temperature), there are no reports on the formation of nucleobases from formamide in interstellar ices through the combination of irradiation at astrophysically relevant low temperatures and subsequent thermal processes. A few laboratory based studies have explored formamide irradiation although with in a largely non-systematic manner, typically employing a change One Factor At a Time (OFAT) approach. Additionally, scant attention has been paid to the refractory components from the irradiation which would likely reveal the complex chemistry that emerges.

To investigate the role of cosmic ray induced chemistry, the Atomki Ice Chamber for Astrophysics / Astrochemistry (ICA) was used and ice analogues were prepared in situ by depositing gases and Formamide onto ZnSe substrates at 20 K, where they were monitored in the solid-phase by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy and QMS monitoring of the gaseous emissions. TPD studies will also be performed from 20 through to 200K and both QMS and FTIR data captured on a temporal basis to allow for univariate and multivariate post data analysis. Refractory components were also be retained for post chiral/achiral analysis.

Virtual visit by Alicja Domaracka and Anna Bychkova, CIMAP-CNRS (France) to TA2.11 Atomki Ice Chamber for Astrophysics / Astrochemistry (ICA) (Hungary).

Dates of visit: 17-28 January 2022

Report Summary: Over the last decades it became clear that we live in a “molecular universe”. Carbon forms the basis of the majority of the molecular species that so far have been identified in space. Although small carbon-based molecules, like CO and CO2, are some of the most abundant molecules in space, only a small fraction of the carbon is expected to be locked up in such species. It was proposed that a large portion of the interstellar carbon, up to 20%, is built in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and fullerenes. Several laboratory studies were carried out to investigate the effects of vacuum ultraviolet photolysis on PAH:H2O ices. However, data about interaction energetic ions with PAH ices are very scare.

We therefore studied the radiolysis of the pure pyrene ice and mixed pyrene- water ices at different concentrations at 20 K with 200 keV and 2 MeV H+ and 2 MeV C2+ beams at Atomki. The preliminary analysis of water-pyrene ices irradiated 200 keV H+ (with pyrene concentration from about 5 to 100% of pyrene) indicates that pyrene is more radio-resistant at high concentrations. The results are preliminary and analysis is ongoing.

Visit by Rahul Kumar Kushwaha, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad (India) to TA2.11 Atomki Ice Chamber for Astrophysics / Astrochemistry (ICA) (Hungary).

Dates of visit: 8-19 December 2021

Report Summary: The non-equilibrium chemistry driven by the charged particle and photon irradiation processes are responsible for the rich chemistry on the surfaces of icy satellites. Among the icy satellites of the Jovian and Saturnian planetary systems, a few satellites such as Ganymede, Europa, Dione, Rhea, Callisto and Titan that are embedded in their respective planetary magnetospheres were observed to undergo rich chemical processes due to the bombardment of a wide range of energetic atomic and molecular ions that are present in their planet’s magnetospheres, which processes the icy surfaces of satellites by irradiation and implantation. Magnetospheres also help in bringing new species from one satellite to the other. Especially in the Jupiter system of icy satellites, sulfur transfer from Io to the other satellites is quite likely. The sulfur ions from Io are picked up by the magnetosphere and are accelerated towards the other icy satellites; Europa being the closest neighbour to Io will be implanted with sulfur ions. The Jovian satellites, due to the presence of the Jupiter’s magnetosphere, are subjected to highly energetic S ion irradiation which leads to a range of chemical activity on their surfaces. In this project, we have studied the effect of S ion irradiation on Aspartic acid for a range of energies at two different temperatures (100 K, 20 K), where the 100 K experiments are aimed to mimic the conditions of Europa. The irradiated residue was then analysed using an optical microscope, scanning electron microscope and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry.

Full scientific report published by kind permission of Rahul Kumar Kushwaha

Virtual visit by Dr Sergio Ioppolo (Queen Mary University of London, UK) to TA2.11 Atomki Ice Chamber for Astrophysics / Astrochemistry (ICA) (Hungary).

Dates of visit: 12 October 2020 – 31 March 2021

Report Summary: All isomers of C2H4O2, i.e. glycolaldehyde (HCOCH2OH), acetic acid (CH3COOH) and methyl formate (HCOOCH3), have been observed abundantly around the Galactic center, in dark clouds, and hot cores of the interstellar medium (ISM), as well as in some minor ice objects of the Solar System. However, their exact gas-grain formation and destruction pathway is still under debate. According to El-Abd et al. (2019), the observed column densities of methyl formate and acetic acid are well-correlated, and are likely simply tracking the relative total gas mass in star forming regions. Methyl formate and glycolaldehyde, however, display a stark dichotomy in their relative column densities. The latter findingsuggests that different formation/destruction routes are at play for the three isomers. To date, there is a strong laboratory evidence for an efficient production of glycolaldehyde, methyl formate, and acetic acid in the ISM (Gerakines et al. 1996; Bennett and Kaiser 2007; Modica et al. 2012).

During the TA 20-EPN-016 at the ion accelerator facility Atomki in Debrecen (Hungary), we have performed a systematic set of experiments using the novel ultrahigh vacuum ICA end station to investigate the formation and destruction pathways of C2H4O2 isomers and a variety of other interstellar complex organic molecules. The experimental campaign revealed to be successful as all the planned experiments were performed. Results aided the design of new potential key experiments that will be included in a future follow-up beamtime bid at the facility.

Virtual visit by Alexei Ivlev, Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) (Germany) to TA2.11 Atomki Ice Chamber for Astrophysics / Astrochemistry (ICA) (Hungary).

Dates of visit: 23 February – 05 July 2021

Report Summary: The principal aim of the project was a dedicated study of generic effects induced in pure astrophysical ice analogs due to their bombardment by cosmic rays with energies E in the vicinity of the maximum of electronic stopping power. It is known that the energy of ejected electrons, which are produced in primary ionization events, has a significant dependence on E in this energy range.

Thus, by selecting pairs of beam energies on both sides of the Bragg peak, such that the corresponding stopping-power values are equal, we were able to probe the effect of electron-impact excitations of ice molecules. We selected CO films as the best irradiation target, for which the biggest variety of radiolysis products was expected and the most detailed predictions of chemical models were available.

We found that the first radiolysis products, detected at the astrophysically relevant values of ion fluence, are very different from predictions of chemical models. At the same time, the reaction kinetics shows no statistically significant difference between ion beams of same stopping power. This rules out the importance of electron-impact excitation in radiolysis chemistry of CO, and suggests that this process may generally be negligible compared to the chemistry driven by CR heating (determined by the stopping power value). On the other hand, by comparing the sputtering yields measured for beams of same stopping power, we discovered a significant asymmetry, with the yield at lower energies being up to a factor of two larger that at higher energies.

Visit by Zuzana Kanuchova (virtual participation), Astronomical Institute od Slovak Academy of Sciences (Slovakia) and Duncan Mifsud (in-person participation), University of Kent (UK) to TA2.11 Atomki Ice Chamber for Astrophysics / Astrochemistry (ICA) (Hungary).

Dates of visit: 30 November – 4 December 2020 and 25-29 January 2021

Report Summary: We have implanted 290 keV S+ ions in a variety of simple oxide ices, including CO, CO2, H2O, N2O, O2, and CO:N2O at 20 K, as well as CO2 and H2O at 70 K. Our aim was to determine whether such implantations could result in the formation of sulfur-bearing product molecules, particularly SO2 which has been detected at the surfaces of several icy Solar System moons.

The performed experiments suffered from initial setbacks in the form of unexpected and significant sputtering of the astrophysical ice analogues during irradiation. In order to mitigate this sputtering, we made use of two different experimental techinques; (i) via simultaneous deposition and irradiation of the ice analogue in cases where we knew gas phase chemistry to be negligible, and (ii) via creation of a very thick (~3-5 μm) ice and a slow rate of implantation. Once these initial problems were solved, we were able to successfully carry out implantations into the six ices mentioned above.

Our work has indicated that although sulfur-bearing molecules (such as OCS and H2SO4 hydrates) may form as a result of such implantations, SO2 formation was not detected in most experiments, except at high fluence (~1016 ions/cm2) implantations in CO. Such results have important implications for the icy Galilean satellites of Jupiter, suggesting that the SO2 present there may be formed by endogenic processes at the lunar surfaces.

Virtual visit by Hermann Rothard, CIMAP (Caen, F) CNRS (France) to TA2.11 Atomki Ice Chamber for Astrophysics / Astrochemistry (ICA) (Hungary).

Dates of visit: 17 May – 02 July 2021

Report Summary: Complex molecules (including amino acids and nucleobases) can be formed in cold space environments conditions (e.g. dense molecular clouds, outer solar system) by e.g. UV irradiation and ion bombardment of ices containing simple molecules. Consequently, the radiation resistance of such complex molecules in order to determine their survival times in space should be investigated. We therefore studied the radiolysis and radio-resistance of the purine nucleobase (Adenine, two aromatic rings) in solid phase as a function of temperature (20-300 K) with H (0.8 MeV) and He (3.2 MeV) beams at ATOMKI. This first systematic study of the influence of the temperature revealed that Adenine is found to be significantly (of the order of 50%) more radio-resistant at high temperatures. At low temperatures T < 50K, Adenine is more radiosensitive (higher cross sections).

The results are preliminary and analysis is ongoing. Furthermore, we found that the destruction cross sections scales with the electronic stopping stopping following a power law with a stronger than linear dependence.

Successful Transnational Access Visits to the AQUILA Facility

22-EPN3-118: Irradiation of Enceladus Ice Analogues by Simulating Saturn’s Plasma Environment
Visit by Grace Richards of the Open University (UK) to to TA2.12 Atomki-Queen’s University Ice Laboratory for Astrochemistry (Hungary).

Dates of visit: 19-24 April 2023

Report Summary: Enceladus orbits within Saturn’s magnetosphere, which contains cold plasma composed of water group ions such as O+, OH+, and H2O+. Irradiation of Enceladus’ surface by this plasma can change the volatile composition of the ice.

This program of experiments aimed to characterise the extent to which the Enceladus surface material is weathered by Saturn’s radiation environment, by exposing ice analogues to the ECR ion source in the AQUILA ice chamber. Ices, composed of H2O, CO2, NH3, and CH4, and with a temperature of 70K, were irradiated using relevant water group ions of energies between 10 – 45 keV. They were monitored throughout the irradiation process using FTIR spectroscopy and Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry (QMS). Temperature Programmed Desorption (TPD) studies were also carried out to investigate the radiation products in the ices.

Visit by Veronique Vuitton and Filip Matuszewski of Institut de Planetologie et d’Astrophysique de Grenoble (France) to to TA2.12 Atomki-Queen’s University Ice Laboratory for Astrochemistry (Hungary).

Dates of visit: 18-22 March 2024

Report Summary: In this TNA visit, we irradiated adenine, an aromatic molecule rich in nitrogen, with low energy oxygen ions. Our general objective was to investigate the effect on the spectral properties and composition of the samples and on the chemical composition of the molecules sputtered in the gas phase.

Films of a few hundred nanometers were prepared using the sublimation/condensation reactor installed on Atomki QUeens Ice Chamber for Laboratory Astrochemistry (AQUIILA). Adenine is commercially available as a powder and was vaporized under low pressure to condense back on MgF2 windows. We irradiated our samples with 10-20 keV OHx+ ion beams generated by the Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Source (ECRIS).

During the irradiation, the spectral properties of the irradiated samples were tracked in situ by FTIR spectroscopy. The products released during the irradiation were tracked with the residual gas analyzer attached to the AQUIILA chamber.

Ex situ analyses of the irradiated samples are also planned to determine their chemical evolution, especially their degree of oxygenation. The elemental and isotopic compositions will be determined by isotope ratio mass spectrometry (ir-MS), with the main objective to obtain their O/C ratio. The molecular composition of the samples will be obtained through very high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS).

Visit by María Belén Maté and Ramón Javier Peláez (IEM-CSIC, Spain) to TA2.12 Atomki-Queen’s University Ice Laboratory for Astrochemistry (Hungary).

Dates of visit: 07-11 November 2023

Report Summary: The possibility that prebiotic precursors of life formed in the space and were then transported to the early Earth by comets, asteroids and meteorites is a fascinating hypothesis. We focus in this project on hydroxylamine, NH2OH, a key N-bearing species that has been proposed as an important precursor in the formation of amino acids like glycine or alanine. Very recently, hydroxylamine has been detected in the gas phase in dense clouds in the interstellar medium. It has been predicted to form efficiently on dust grains according to laboratory experiments and chemical models. Then, the presence of this species in ISM ices and on the surface of Solar System bodies is probable, and in those surfaces can react to form more complex prebiotic species like amino acids.

Although the chemical pathways leading to the formation of NH2OH in astrophysical ices have been thoroughly studied, the next step in the chemical evolution that would begin with NH2OH as a precursor in ice has, to our knowledge, not been addressed experimentally.

In this TA project the team studied the chemistry induced by Cosmic Rays on ices containing hydroxylamine. They studied pure NH2OH ices and mixtures with H2O, CO and D2O, at 20 K, irradiated with 15 keV H+ ions. In particular, we were interested in finding complex organic molecules in the processed ices, and learning how different ice composition affects the chemistry and the destruction efficiency of NH2OH by Cosmic Rays.

Visit by Alfred Hopkinson (Aarhus University, Denmark) to TA2.12 Atomki-Queen’s University Ice Laboratory for Astrochemistry (Hungary).

Dates of visit: 04-08 December 2023

Report Summary: During this TNA visit, the simplest amino acid glycine (NH2CH2COOH), and its deuterated analogs, partially deuterated d3-glycine (ND2CH2COOD) and fully deuterated d5-glycine (ND2CD2COOD), were irradiated using 10 KeV protons. The subsequent products of this processing were then measured using infrared spectroscopy and a quadrupole mass spectrometer. The aim of this was to investigate the products of glycine destruction and investigate if this energetic processing could result in the formation of glycine peptides. The outcome of the TNA visit was the collection of infrared spectra of the irradiation of these molecules and then following this, temperature-programmed desorption measurements. These preliminary results show the formation of CO2, CO, and D2O.

Full scientific report published by kind permission of Alfred Hopkinson.

Visit by Alexandra Corrigan, University of Kent (UK) to TA2.12 Atomki-Queen’s University Ice Laboratory for Astrochemistry (Hungary).

Dates of visit: 15 May – 06 June 2023

Report Summary: At the AQUILA chamber in the ECRIS Laboratory at the Atomki Institute for Nuclear Research the effects of H+, O2+, and S5+ irradiation of water ice, plus Formamide, as a potential prebiotic Europa ocean analogue were explored. Three sodium chloride windows, covered with a 1:1 ice mixture of water and Formamide, were irradiated with ion beams. The windows were cooled down to 90K in vacuum, and a 200-250 nm thick ice layer was deposited at them. In the first experiment, the sample was irradiated using a 15keV H+ ion beam in 12 steps, up to a total fluence of 1.1x 1015 ion/cm2. After each irradiation steps an infra-red (IR) spectrum was taken to observe the irradiation products. After completing, the sample was warmed up to 300K in 30K increments, taking an IR spectrum at each interval. During both irradiation and heating, the sputtered molecules were monitored by QMS. Finally, after a full warming up of the cold parts we opened the chamber, removed the sample (for post-TA residue analysis using LCMS/MS), replaced the NaCl window, and pumped the chamber. This protocol was repeated (with different irradiation fluences) for 30keV O2+ and 60keV S5+ ion beams. All the sample windows have been taken for residue analysis. From initial analysis of the spectra it seems that the Formamide was broken, and formed products such as CO, CO2, OCN–, and CN–. Further investigation is required to confirm these results and to determine what other products were created during the irradiation.