Abstract

Invited Talk - Splinter CosmicRays

Monday, 13 September 2021, 11:15   (virtual Cosmic)

Laboratory Ice Astrochemistry at ATOMKI - A New Experimental Facility for Ion Impact Studies of Astrophysical Ice Analogues

Sergio Ioppolo
Queen Mary University of London

To date many fundamental questions in astrochemistry on the physicochemical origin of the observed molecular complexity in space and its link to life on Earth still remain unanswered. Field work at large facilities such as free-electron lasers, synchrotron and ion accelerators can help investigating the surface formation of biologically relevant species with unprecedented detail. During the talk, I will present recent work carried-out at ATOMKI in Hungary on surface molecular formation. The unique characteristics of the facility allows for the investigation of different processes occurring on interstellar and Solar System ice analogues, such as energy injection upon cosmic ray analog irradiation of ices, ion implantation and spattering as a function of the selected ion projectile and its energy. Results will be discussed in light of present and future observations of interstellar and Solar System ices.