This work illustrates how laboratory astrochemistry allows us to connect nanoscopic processes with large-scale cosmic phenomena.
A team of scientists has demonstrated the fundamental role that hydrogen plays in the formation of cosmic dust in red giants, low- or medium-mass stars that are nearing the end of their lives.
The work, led by researchers from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), has important astrophysical applications and was achieved using a facility that replicates large-scale cosmic phenomena at the nanoscale.
The results were obtained using the Stardust machine, a unique facility designed to produce cosmic dust analogues under controlled conditions.
The findings of the investigation were published on Monday in the journal Nature Astronomy , the EFE news agency reported.
"Cosmic dust is one of the fundamental ingredients of the universe," explained José Ángel Martín-Gago, director of the Institute of Materials Science in Madrid (ICMM-CSIC) and one of the lead researchers on the study.
Although at first glance it may seem like a minor component, "these tiny solid particles play a crucial role in the evolution of galaxies, the formation of stars and planets, and the chemistry of the interstellar medium," specified Gonzalo Santoro, lead author of the article and researcher at the Institute for the Structure of Matter (IEM-CSIC).
Led by the Institute of Materials Science of Madrid (ICMM-CSIC) and the Institute of Structure of Matter (IEM-CSIC), the work involved the participation of several CSIC centers (the Institute of Nanoscience and Materials of Aragon, the Institute of Polymer Science and Technology, and the Institute of Fundamental Physics), as well as the French institutes IRAP-CNRS and the University of Toulouse.
The researchers proposed an approach that combines experimental astrochemistry, spectroscopy, electron microscopy, and theoretical modeling, and were able to reproduce in the laboratory some of the chemical conditions present in this type of star.
The most relevant result of this work is the demonstration of the role of hydrogen as a "promoter of the formation of silicon carbide grains," explained Santoro in a statement released by the CSIC (Spanish National Research Council).
The researcher specified that the study showed that when the molecular hydrogen density is high, carbon and silicon interact much more than when hydrogen is absent, as this initiates a chain of chemical reactions.
Beyond the astrophysical interest, the researchers highlighted that the work illustrates how laboratory astrochemistry allows us to connect nanoscopic processes with large-scale cosmic phenomena.
They also praised how the efficient combination of controlled experiments, advanced characterization techniques, and theoretical modeling opens new avenues for understanding how dust grains form, which millions of years later end up becoming part of planets, meteorites, or even the matter that makes up the solar system.
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