UNTANGLING MOLECULAR SIGNALS OF ASTROCHEMICAL ICES IN THE THz: DISTINGUISHING AMORPHOUS, CRYSTALLINE, AND INTRAMOLECULAR MODES WITH BROADBAND THz SPECTROSCOPY

McGuire, Brett A.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/79195 Copy

Description

Title

UNTANGLING MOLECULAR SIGNALS OF ASTROCHEMICAL ICES IN THE THz: DISTINGUISHING AMORPHOUS, CRYSTALLINE, AND INTRAMOLECULAR MODES WITH BROADBAND THz SPECTROSCOPY

Author(s)

McGuire, Brett A.

Contributor(s)

• Blake, Geoffrey
• Carroll, Brandon
• Allodi, Marco A.
• de Vries, Xander
• Ioppolo, Sergio

Issue Date

25-Jun-15

Keyword(s)

Astronomy

Abstract

We have previous reported at this meeting on the initial construction of a broadband (0.3 � 7.5 THz) TeraHertz time-domain spectrometer to study condensed-phase samples of astrophysically-relevant species. Here, we present the latest results from this instrument, focusing on the intersection of theory with experiment in the interpretation of our spectra. We will present both simple (CO$_2$) and more complex (CH$_3$OH and beyond) species, in their purely-crystalline and purely-amorphous states, at varying levels of matrix isolation, and as mixtures of these species. We will discuss the relative contributions of individual molecular motions (i.e. torsional modes) and bulk motions within the ice to the observed laboratory spectra. We will also touch upon the feasibility of direct interstellar detection of species from these spectra, and the results of proof-of-concept observations with the FIFI-LS instrument on the SOFIA telescope, currently scheduled for Spring 2015.

Publisher

International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy

Type of Resource

text

Language

English

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/79195

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