Context. The interstellar hydrogenated amorphous carbons (HAC or a-C:H) observed in the diffuse medium are expected to disappear in a few million years, according to the destruction time scale from laboratory measurements. The existence of a-C:H results from the equilibrium between photodesorption, radiolysis, hydrogenation and resilience of the carbonaceous network. During this processing, many species are therefore injected into the gas phase, in particular H 2 , but also small organic molecules, radicals or fragments. Aims. We perform experiments on interstellar a-C:H analogs to quantify the release of these species in the interstellar medium. Methods. The vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photolysis of interstellar hydrogenated amorphous carbon analogs was performed at low (10 K) to ambient temperature, coupled to mass-spectrometry detection and temperature-programed desorption. Using deuterium isotopic substitution, the species produced were unambiguously separated from background contributions. Results. The VUV photolysis of hydrogenated amorphous carbons leads to the efficient production of H 2 molecules, but also to small hydrocarbons. Conclusions. These species are formed predominantly in the bulk of the a-C:H analog carbonaceous network, in addition to the surface formation. Compared with species made by the recombination of H atoms and physisorbed on surfaces, they diffuse out at higher temperatures. In addition to the efficient production rate, it provides a significant formation route in environments where the short residence time scale for H atoms inhibits H 2 formation on the surface, such as PDRs. The photolytic bulk production of H 2 with carbonaceous hydrogenated amorphous carbon dust grains can provide a very large portion of the contribution to the H 2 molecule formation. These dust grains also release small hydrocarbons (such as CH 4 ) into the diffuse interstellar medium, which contribute to the formation of small carbonaceous radicals after being dissociated by the UV photons in the considered environment. This extends the interstellar media environments where H 2 and small hydrocarbons can be produced.

Context. Methanol is a common component of interstellar and circumstellar ice mantles and is often used as an evolution indicator in star-forming regions. The observations of gas-phase methanol in the interiors of dense molecular clouds at temperatures as low as 10 K suggest that non-thermal ice desorption must be active. Ice photodesorption has been proposed to explain the abundances of gas-phase molecules toward the coldest regions. Aims. Laboratory experiments were performed to investigate the potential photodesorption of methanol toward the coldest regions. Methods. Solid methanol was deposited at 8 K and UV-irradiated at various temperatures starting from 8 K. The irradiation of the ice was monitored by means of infrared spectroscopy and the molecules in the gas phase were detected using quadrupole mass spectroscopy. Fully deuterated methanol was used for confirmation of the results. Results. The photodesorption of methanol to the gas phase was not observed in the mass spectra at different irradiation temperatures. We estimate an upper limit of 3 × 10 −5 molecules per incident photon. On the other hand, photon-induced desorption of the main photoproducts was clearly observed. Conclusions. The negligible photodesorption of methanol could be explained by the ability of UV-photons in the 114−180 nm (10.87−6.88 eV) range to dissociate this molecule efficiently. Therefore, the presence of gas-phase methanol in the absence of thermal desorption remains unexplained. On the other hand, we find CH 4 to desorb from irradiated methanol ice, which was not found to desorb in the pure CH 4 ice irradiation experiments.

Context. The vacuum-UV (VUV) absorption cross sections of most molecular solids present in interstellar ice mantles with the exception of H 2 O, NH 3 , and CO 2 have not been reported yet. Models of ice photoprocessing depend on the VUV absorption cross section of the ice to estimate the penetration depth and radiation dose, and in the past, gas phase cross section values were used as an approximation. Aims. We aim to estimate the VUV absorption cross section of molecular ice components. Methods. Pure ices composed of CO, H 2 O, CH 3 OH, NH 3 , or H 2 S were deposited at 8 K. The column density of the ice samples was measured in situ by infrared spectroscopy in transmittance. VUV spectra of the ice samples were collected in the 120−160 nm (10.33−7.74 eV) range using a commercial microwave-discharged hydrogen flow lamp. Results. We provide VUV absorption cross sections of the reported molecular ices. Our results agree with those previously reported for H 2 O and NH 3 ices. Vacuum-UV absorption cross section of CH 3 OH, CO, and H 2 S in solid phase are reported for the first time. H 2 S presents the highest absorption in the 120−160 nm range. Conclusions. Our method allows fast and readily available VUV spectroscopy of ices without the need to use a synchrotron beamline. We found that the ice absorption cross sections can be very different from the gas-phase values, and therefore, our data will significantly improve models that simulate the VUV photoprocessing and photodesorption of ice mantles. Photodesorption rates of pure ices, expressed in molecules per absorbed photon, can be derived from our data.

Context. Ice mantles that formed on top of dust grains are photoprocessed by the secondary ultraviolet (UV) field in cold and dense molecular clouds. UV photons induce photochemistry and desorption of ice molecules. Experimental simulations dedicated to ice analogs under astrophysically relevant conditions are needed to understand these processes. Aims. We present UV-irradiation experiments of a pure CO 2 ice analog. Calibration of the quadrupole mass spectrometer allowed us to quantify the photodesorption of molecules to the gas phase. This information was added to the data provided by the Fourier transform infrared spectrometer on the solid phase to obtain a complete quantitative study of the UV photoprocessing of an ice analog. Methods. Experimental simulations were performed in an ultra-high vacuum chamber. Ice samples were deposited onto an infrared transparent window at 8K and were subsequently irradiated with a microwave-discharged hydrogen flow lamp. After irradiation, ice samples were warmed up until complete sublimation was attained. Results. Photolysis of CO 2 molecules initiates a network of photon-induced chemical reactions leading to the formation of CO, CO 3 , O 2 , and O 3 . During irradiation, photon-induced desorption of CO and, to a lesser extent, O 2 and CO 2 took place through a process called indirect desorption induced by electronic transitions, with maximum photodesorption yields (Y pd ) of ∼1.2 × 10 −2 molecules incident photon −1 , ∼9.3 × 10 −4 molecules incident photon −1 , and ∼1.1 × 10 −4 molecules incident photon −1 , respectively. Conclusions. Calibration of mass spectrometers allows a direct quantification of photodesorption yields instead of the indirect values that were obtained from infrared spectra in most previous works. Supplementary information provided by infrared spectroscopy leads to a complete quantification, and therefore a better understanding, of the processes taking place in UV-irradiated ice mantles.

Context. Hydrogenated amorphous carbons (a-C:H) are a major component of the carbonaceous solids present in the interstellar medium. The production and existence of these grains is connected in particular with the balance between their photolysis, radiolysis, and hydrogenation. During grain processing, H 2 and other small organic molecules, radicals, and fragments are released into the gas phase. Aims. We perform photolytic experiments on laboratory produced interstellar a-C:H analogues to monitor and quantify the release of species and compare to relevant observations in the interstellar medium. Methods. Hydrogenated amorphous carbon analogues at low temperature are exposed to ultraviolet (UV) photons, under ultra-high vacuum conditions. The species produced are monitored using mass spectrometry and post irradiation temperature-programmed desorption. Additional experiments are performed using deuterated analogues and the species produced are unambiguously separated from background contributions. We implement the laboratory measured yields for the released species in a time dependent model to investigate the effect of the UV photon irradiation of hydrogenated amorphous carbons in a photon dominated region, and estimate the associated time scale. Results. The UV photolysis of hydrogenated amorphous carbons leads to the production of H 2 molecules and small hydrocarbons. The model shows that the photolytic evolution of a-C:Hs in photon dominated regions, such as the Horsehead Nebula, can raise the abundance of carbonaceous molecules by several orders of magnitude at intermediate visual extinctions, i.e., after the C + maximum and before the dense cloud conditions prevail where models generally show a minimum abundance for such carbonaceous species. The injection time peak ranges from a thousand to ten thousand years in the models, considering only the destruction of such grains and no re-hydrogenation. This time scale is consistent with the estimated advection front of a photon dominated region, which replenishes it with freshly exposed material.

Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is one of the most relevant and abundant species in astrophysical and atmospheric media. In particular, CO 2 ice is present in several solar system bodies, as well as in interstellar and circumstellar ice mantles. The amount of CO 2 in ice mantles and the presence of pure CO 2 ice are significant indicators of the temperature history of dust in protostars. It is therefore important to know if CO 2 is mixed with other molecules in the ice matrix or segregated and whether it is present in an amorphous or crystalline form. We apply a multidisciplinary approach involving IR spectroscopy in the laboratory, theoretical modeling of solid structures, and comparison with astronomical observations. We generate an unprecedented highly amorphous CO 2 ice and study its crystallization both by thermal annealing and by slow accumulation of monolayers from the gas phase under an ultrahigh vacuum. Structural changes are followed by IR spectroscopy. We also devise theoretical models to reproduce different CO 2 ice structures. We detect a preferential in-plane orientation of some vibrational modes of crystalline CO 2 . We identify the IR features of amorphous CO 2 ice, and, in particular, we provide a theoretical explanation for a band at 2,328 cm −1 that dominates the spectrum of the amorphous phase and disappears when the crystallization is complete. Our results allow us to rule out the presence of pure and amorphous CO 2 ice in space based on the observations available so far, supporting our current view of the evolution of CO 2 ice.astrochemistry | solid state morphology C arbon dioxide (CO 2 ) has come to play a fundamental role in several aspects of the Earth's geophysics (1, 2), but it is also a key element in astrophysical research (3, 4). In the interior of dense interstellar clouds, as well as in the envelopes around young stars, dust grains are covered by ice mantles formed by frozen volatile molecules, with water being the most abundant molecular species, followed by carbon monoxide (CO), CO 2 , methanol, methane, and others (5, 6). The structure of CO 2 in the icy phase of the interstellar grains is still an open question. Is CO 2 mixed up with other frozen components, or is it segregated in multilayer structures (7)? Has it attained a crystalline arrangement, or does it have an amorphous structure (8)? Because solid CO 2 is an indicator of the temperature history in the envelopes of young stars (9, 10), it is important to address these questions. Most of the available information on these systems comes from spectroscopic observations. Thus, many laboratory experiments have been performed on low-temperature CO 2 , both as a single species and mixed with other components, using IR spectroscopy as the main detection tool (11-15). In the context of solid-state physics, the existence of transverse optical (TO) and longitudinal optical (LO) modes in amorphous materials was questioned because the origin of this effect was linked to long-range order in crystals, but it was proved that longitudinal mode...

The photodesorption of icy grain mantles has been claimed to be responsible for the abundance of gas-phase molecules toward cold regions. Being water a ubiquitous molecule, it is crucial to understand its role in photochemistry and its behavior under an ultraviolet field. We report new measurements on the UV-photodesorption of water ice and its H 2 , OH, and O 2 photoproducts using a calibrated quadrupole mass spectrometer. Solid water was deposited under ultra-high-vacuum conditions and then UV-irradiated at various temperatures starting from 8 K with a microwave discharged hydrogen lamp. Deuterated water was used for confirmation of the results. We found a photodesorption yield of 1.3 × 10 −3 molecules per incident photon for water, and 0.7 × 10 −3 molecules per incident photon for deuterated water at the lowest irradiation temperature, 8 K. The photodesorption yield per absorbed photon is given and comparison with astrophysical scenarios, where water ice photodesorption could account for the presence of gas-phase water toward cold regions in the absence of a thermal desorption process is addressed.

This work presents the photochemistry of ultraviolet (UV) irradiated coronene in water ices at 15 K, studied using mid-infrared Fourier transform (FTIR) spectroscopy for CH:HO at concentrations of (1:50), (1:150), (1:200), (1:300) and (1:400). Previous UV irradiation studies of anthracene:HO, pyrene:HO and benzo[ghi]perylene:HO ices at 15 K have shown that aromatic alcohols and ketones, as well as CO and HCO are formed at very low temperatures. Like-wise, here, in addition to the coronene cation, hydroxy-, keto-, and protonated coronene (coronene-H) are formed. The rate constants for the decay of neutral coronene and for the formation of photoproducts have been derived. It is shown that PAHs and their UV-induced PAH:HO photoproducts have mid-infrared spectroscopic signatures in the 5-8 m region that can contribute to the interstellar ice components described by Boogert et al. (2008) as C1-C5. Our results suggest that oxygenated and hydrogenated PAHs could be in UV-irradiated regions of the ISM where water-rich ices are important.