The chemical pathways which ice-bound molecules follow when subjected to energetic processing is a crucial part of accurately modelling the distribution of COMs -- many of which are considered the ``building blocks of life" -- in developing solar systems. This represents one of the key ways in which laboratory experiments assist in the understanding of astronomical processes; by recreating the conditions of space, and controlling factors such as incident flux, ice composition, and temperature, instrumentalists can obtain quantitative as well as qualitative insight into the chemistry occurring in star- and planet-forming regions. Such studies have shown that many of the molecular precursors to life are formed when icy mantles on dust grains are subjected to high-energy irradiation. Paradoxically, many complex organic molecules are unstable with respect to such irradiation, hinting at a balance between constructive and destructive forces in the molecular inventory of interstellar space.
This project was aimed at probing this balance by performing experiments where astronomically-relevant COMs were embedded in icy environments and irradiated with vacuum ultraviolet light. The extent to which the COM degraded was correlated with the composition of the surrounding ice matrix, and some mechanistic insight was gained by studying the root of these effects. The quantitative results for this work can be used in astronomical simulations, better accounting for the prevalence of ethanol in astronomical observations.
