Low-energy electron impact mediates the creation of new complex organic molecules, such as ethanol, in astrophysical/planetary model ices containing methane and oxygen; while some of the new species desorb as ions, many remain in the surface ices. Credit: The photo of Jupiter’s moon Europa, inserted for the Platinum (Pt) substrate (bottom of the graphic), is credited to NASA.
Where do the molecules required for life originate? A new study shows that a number of small organic molecules can form in a cold, spacelike environment full of radiation. Investigators at the University of Sherbrooke in Canada have created simulated space environments in which thin films of ice containing methane and oxygen are irradiated by electron beams...
Read More
Recent Comments