Using radio astronomical receivers for molecular spectroscopic characterization in astrochemical laboratory simulations: A proof of concept

• Main Authors: Tanarro, I, Alemán, B, de Vicente, P, Gallego, J. D, Pardo, J. R, Santoro, G, Lauwaet, K, Tercero, F, Díaz-Pulido, A, Moreno, E, Agúndez, M, Goicoechea, J. R, Sobrado, J. M, López, J. A, Martínez, L, Doménech, J. L, Herrero, V. J, Hernández, J. M, Peláez, R. J, López-Pérez, J. A, Gómez-González, J, Alonso, J. L, Jiménez, E, Teyssier, D, Makasheva, K, Castellanos, M, Joblin, C, Martín-Gago, J. A, Cernicharo, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 08-11-2017
• Subjects: Physics - Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.1711.03022

A&A 609, A15 (2018) We present a proof of concept on the coupling of radio astronomical receivers
and spectrometers with chemical reactorsand the performances of the resulting
setup for spectroscopy and chemical simulations in laboratory astrophysics.
Several experiments including cold plasma generation and UV photochemistry were
performed in a 40\,cm long gas cell placed in the beam path of the Aries 40\,m
radio telescope receivers operating in the 41-49 GHz frequency range interfaced
with fast Fourier transform spectrometers providing 2 GHz bandwidth and 38 kHz
resolution.
The impedance matching of the cell windows has been studied using different
materials. The choice of the material and its thickness was critical to obtain
a sensitivity identical to that of standard radio astronomical observations.
Spectroscopic signals arising from very low partial pressures of CH3OH,
CH3CH2OH, HCOOH, OCS,CS, SO2 (<1E-03 mbar) were detected in a few seconds. Fast
data acquisition was achieved allowing for kinetic measurements in
fragmentation experiments using electron impact or UV irradiation. Time
evolution of chemical reactions involving OCS, O2 and CS2 was also observed
demonstrating that reactive species, such as CS, can be maintained with high
abundance in the gas phase during these experiments.