A vacuum-ultraviolet source for the study of interstellar and prebiotic molecules

用于研究星际分子和益生元分子的真空紫外线源

• 批准号: RTI-2023-00407
• 负责人: Cooke, Ilsa
• 金额: $ 10.3万
• 依托单位: University of British Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Research Tools and Instruments
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=747829
• 关键词: vacuum; ultraviolet; source; study; interstellar

Vacuum-ultraviolet light (VUV; ~100 - 200 nm) is a class of ultraviolet light that requires a vacuum to travel freely since it is absorbed strongly by oxygen in the air, as well as by most other molecules. Because of this property, it has an important role in the photochemistry of small molecules, including organic molecules found in space and those thought to play a role in the origins of life. We request funds for a portable, table-top VUV source and VUV spectrometer. The equipment is urgently needed to support the our research programs of the PI (Cooke) and co-applicant (Momose), and will be used by other researchers at UBC to study environmental chemistry and quantum matter. The proposed VUV system will be used to ionize astrochemically-relevant carbon-bearing molecules for their mass spectrometric detection, and as a source for in situ VUV photochemistry of prebiotic molecules. These tools are critical to answer questions about the origins of carbon molecules in space and about how long these molecules can survive before they are destroyed by radiation. Examples of research to be supported include the formation of aromatic molecules in interstellar space, photochemistry of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and asymmetric photolysis of chiral amino acids. The applicant and co-applicant are already leaders in the areas of astrochemistry and photochemistry and are only lacking this critical VUV source to gain access to important results that cannot be obtained by any other more cost-effective method. These research tools will be an integral component of the equipment that will be used by a diverse set of undergraduate students, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, and will support the research activities of many trainees in multiple research groups. They will provide valuable expertise and hands-on-training on chemical physics experiments, producing a skill set that is in high demand in Canada.

真空粉状光（VUV; 〜100-200 nm）是一类紫外线，需要真空才能自由传播，因为它被空气中的氧气强烈吸收，以及大多数其他分子。由于具有这种特性，它在小分子的光化学中起着重要作用，包括在太空中发现的有机分子以及被认为在生命起源中发挥作用的分子。我们要求用于便携式，台式VUV源和VUV光谱仪的资金。迫切需要设备来支持我们的PI（Cooke）和共同陈述（MOMOSE）的研究计划，并将被UBC的其他研究人员使用来研究环境化学和量子问题。所提出的VUV系统将用于将含有与天体相关的碳分子电离以进行质谱检测，并将其作为益生元分子的原位VUV光化学的来源。这些工具对于回答有关碳分子在太空中的起源以及这些分子在被辐射破坏之前可以生存的时间至关重要。要支持的研究的实例包括在星际空间中形成芳香族分子，多环芳族烃的光化学以及手性氨基酸的不对称光解。申请人和共同申请人已经是星体化学和光化学领域领域的领导者，并且仅缺乏这种关键的VUV来源来访问重要结果，而任何其他更具成本效益的方法无法获得的重要结果。这些研究工具将是设备不可或缺的组成部分，该设备将由各种各样的本科生，研究生和博士后研究员使用，并将支持多个研究小组中许多受训者的研究活动。他们将在化学物理实验上提供有价值的专业知识和实践培训，从而产生加拿大需求量很高的技能。