Laboratory and Observational Studies of Refractory Molecules and Ions: Tracing the Metallic Elements from AGB Stars into the ISM

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AST-0607803INSTITUTION: University of ArizonaPI: Lucy ZiurysTITLE: Laboratory and Observational Studies of Refractory Molecules and Ions: Tracing the Metallic Elements from AGB Stars into the ISM ABSTRACTDr. Lucy Ziurys, at the University of Arizona, will undertake research on the chemistry of refractory elements, by means of a joint laboratory and observational program. The laboratory investigations will focus on new metal cyanide and carbide species along with a new class of metal-bearing molecular ions. Observations will be undertaken to search for possible new species in circumstellar and interstellar gas. The goal is to provide information that is needed to understand dust grain composition, elemental depletions, ionization balance, and gas-phase chemistry, and for understanding mass loss from evolved stars, recycling of material in the interstellar medium, nucleosynthesis and Galactic chemical evolution.The work is interdisciplinary and will involve graduate and undergraduate students, along with a postdoc. Efforts will be made to engage female students. Additionally, Dr. Ziurys is actively involved in the development of interdisciplinary courses and a website for basic molecular spectroscopy. She is also collaborating with industry in developing a highly sensitive gas-phase spectrometer that has relevance to defense and homeland security.