Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon growth in a benzene discharge explored by IR-UV action spectroscopy.

ABSTRACT: Infrared signatures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are detected towards many phases of stellar evolution. PAHs are major players in the carbon chemistry of the interstellar medium, forming the connection between small hydrocarbons and large fullerenes. However, as details on the formation of PAHs in these environments are still unclear, modeling their abundance and chemistry has remained far from trivial. By combining molecular beam mass-selective IR spectroscopy and calculated IR spectra, we analyze the discharge of benzene and identify resulting products including larger PAHs, radicals and intermediates that serve as promising candidates for radio astronomical searches. The identification of various reaction products indicates that different gas-phase reaction mechanisms lead

SUBMITTER: Lemmens AK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9215700 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature