Session H5: AMO in Astrophysics

Laboratory Astrophysics in Support of the Study of Nucleosynthesis

One of the outstanding questions in our understanding of the Universe is how the elements were made. Only a few of the lightest or primordial nuclei were made just after the Big Bang. Other light nuclei up to the iron (Fe)-group are made by fusion reactions in the interior of stars. Heavier nuclei are made primarily via neutron-capture events which are categorized as either slow or rapid, the s-process or r-process, respectively. Although s-process neutron-capture is fairly well understood, the r-process, which occurs in neutron dense (explosive) environments, remains more elusive. In recent years, progress has been made in the understanding of r-process nucleosynthesis through the study of elemental abundances in metal-poor stars. These stars, which are among the oldest objects in our Galaxy, contain a fossil record of the elemental mix of the surrounding interstellar medium when they formed. The improvement of both the accuracy and precision of elemental abundances in metal-poor stars has required a long-term effort to improve the necessary laboratory data -- first for the rare earth elements and more recently for the Fe-group. In this talk I will describe our laboratory effort measuring atomic transition probabilities, which are determined from a combination of radiative lifetimes and emission branching fractions. I will then show some examples of the application of our laboratory data to the determination of metal-poor star elemental abundances and discuss insights that can be gleaned from these improved data.   

Astrochemistry in TSR and CSR Ion Storage Rings

Dissociative recombination (DR) of molecular ions plays a key role in controlling the charge density and composition of the cold interstellar medium (ISM). Experimental data on DR are required in order to understand the chemical network in the ISM and related processes such as star formation from molecular clouds. Needed data include not only total reaction cross sections, but also the chemical composition and excitation states of the neutral products. Utilizing the TSR storage ring in Heidelberg, Germany, we have carried out DR measurements for astrophysically important molecular ions. We use a merged electron-ion beams technique combined with event-by-event fragment counting and fragment imaging. The count rate of detected neutral DR products yields the absolute DR rate coefficient. Imaging the distribution of fragment distances provides information on the kinetic energy released including the states of both the initial molecule and the final products. Additional kinetic energy sensitivity of the employed detector allows for identification of fragmentation channels by fragment-mass combination within each dissociation event. Such combined information is essential for studies on DR of polyatomic ions with multi-channel breakup. The recently commissioned Cryogenic Storage Ring (CSR) in Heidelberg, Germany, extends the experimental capabilities of TSR by operation at cryogenic temperatures down to \textasciitilde 6 K. At these conditions residual gas densities down to \textasciitilde 100 cm$^{\mathrm{-3}}$ can be reached resulting in beam storage times of several hours. Long storage in the cold environment allows the ions to relax down to their rotational ground state, thus mimicking well the conditions in the cold ISM. A variety of astrophysically relevant reactions will be investigated at these conditions, such as DR, electron impact excitation, ion-neutral collisions, etc. We report our TSR results on DR of HCl$^{\mathrm{+}}$ and D$_{\mathrm{2}}$Cl$^{\mathrm{+}}$. We also present first results from the CSR commissioning experiments.   

Interstellar dust grain composition from high-resolution X-ray absorption edge structure

X-ray light is sufficient to excite electrons from n=1 (K-shell) and n=2 (L-shell) energy levels of neutral interstellar metals, causing a sharp increase in the absorption cross-section. Near the ionization energy, the shape of the photoelectric absorption edge depends strongly on whether the atom is isolated or bound in molecules or minerals (dust). With high resolution X-ray spectroscopy, we can directly measure the state of metals and the mineral composition of dust in the interstellar medium. In addition, the scattering contribution to the X-ray extinction cross-section can be used to gauge grain size, shape, and filling factor. In order to fully take advantage of major advances in high resolution X-ray spectroscopy, lab measurements of X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) from suspected interstellar minerals are required. Optical constants derived from the absorption measurements can be used with Mie scattering or anomalous diffraction theory in order to model the full extinction cross-sections from the interstellar medium. Much like quasar spectra are used to probe intergalactic gas, absorption spectroscopy of Galactic X-ray binaries and bright stars will yield key insights to the mineralogy and evolution of dust grains in the Milky Way.   

ALMA observations of Titan's atmospheric chemistry and seasonal variation

Titan is the largest moon of Saturn, with a thick (1.45 bar) atmosphere composed primarily of molecular nitrogen and methane. Photochemistry in Titan's upper atmosphere results in the production of a wide range of organic molecules, including hydrocarbons, nitriles and aromatics, some of which could be of pre-biotic relevance. Thus, we obtain insights into the possible molecular inventories of primitive (reducing) planetary atmospheres. Titan's atmosphere also provides a unique laboratory for testing our understanding of fundamental processes involving the chemistry and spectroscopy of complex organic molecules. In this talk, results will be presented from our studies using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) during the period 2012-2015, focussing in particular on the detection and mapping of emission from various nitrile species. By combining data from multiple ALMA observations, our spectra have reached an unprecedented sensitivity level, enabling the first spectroscopic detection and mapping of C2H3CN (vinyl cyanide) on Titan. Liquid-phase simulations of Titan's seas indicate that vinyl cyanide molecules could combine to form vesicle membranes (similar to the cells of terrestrial biology), and the astrobiological implications of this discovery will be discussed. Furthermore, ALMA observations provide instantaneous snapshot mapping of Titan's entire Earth-facing hemisphere, for gases inaccessible to previous instruments. Combined with complementary data obtained from the Cassini Saturn orbiter, as well as theoretical models and laboratory studies, our observed, seasonally variable, spatially resolved abundance patterns are capable of providing new insights into photochemical production and transport in primitive planetary atmospheres in the Solar System and beyond.