Vacuum Ultraviolet Photoabsorption Spectra of Nitrile ices for their identification on Pluto

Publication

Reference: Sivaraman B., Pavithraa S., Lo J.-I., Raja Sekhar B. N., Hill H., Cheng B.-M., Mason N. J. (2016). Vacuum Ultraviolet Photoabsorption Spectra of Nitrile ices for their identification on Pluto. Astrophys. J., 825, 141.

Names

Title: Vacuum Ultraviolet Photoabsorption Spectra of Nitrile ices for their identification on Pluto
Abstract: Icy bodies, such as Pluto, are known to harbor simple and complex molecules. The recent New Horizons flyby of Pluto has revealed a complex surface composed of bright and dark ice surfaces, indicating a rich chemistry based on nitrogen ( $N_2$ ), methane ( $CH_4$ ), and carbon monoxide (CO). Nitrile (CN) containing molecules such as acetonitrile ( $CH_3$ CN), propionitrile ( $CH_{3}CH_{2}CN$ ), butyronitrile ( $CH_{3}CH_{2}CH_{2}CN$ ), and isobutyronitrile ( $(CH_{3})_{2}CHCN$ ) are some of the nitrile molecules that are known to be synthesized by radiative processing of such simple ices. Through the provision of a spectral atlas for such compounds we propose that such nitriles may be identified from the ALICE payload on board New Horizons.
Keywords: Acetonitrile, Butyronitrile, Isobutyronitrile, Propionitrile, spectroscopy, astrochemistry, transmission spectra, VUV, mid-IR, ice, laboratory, CH3CN, CH3CH2CH2CN, (CH3)2CHCN, CH3CH2CN, solid state
Content: spectral data

Doi

10.3847/0004-637X/825/2/141

Identifiers