Shock-wave processing of C60 in hydrogen

Context. Interstellar carbonaceous particles and molecules are subject to intense shocks in astrophysical environments. Shocks induce a rapid raise in temperature and density which strongly affects the chemical and physical properties of both the gas and solid phases of the interstellar matter. Aims...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Astronomy and astrophysics (Berlin) 2017, Vol.599
Main Authors: Biennier, L., Jayaram, V., Suas-David, N., Georges, R., Singh, M. Kiran, Arunan, E., Kassi, S., Dartois, E., Reddy, K. P. J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
astrochemistry
Astrophysics
circumstellar matter
dust
extinction
methods: laboratory: solid state
Physics
shock waves
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Summary:Context. Interstellar carbonaceous particles and molecules are subject to intense shocks in astrophysical environments. Shocks induce a rapid raise in temperature and density which strongly affects the chemical and physical properties of both the gas and solid phases of the interstellar matter. Aims. The shock-induced thermal processing of C60 particles in hydrogen has been investigated in the laboratory under controlled conditions up to 3900 K with the help of a material shock-tube. Methods. The solid residues generated by the exposure of a C60/H2 mixture to a millisecond shock wave were collected and analyzed using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman micro-spectroscopy, and infrared micro-spectroscopy. The gaseous products were analyzed by Gas Chromatography and Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopy. Results. Volatile end-products appear above reflected shock gas temperatures of ~2540 K and reveal the substantial presence of small molecules with one or two C atoms. These observations confirm the role played by the C2 radical as a major product of C60 fragmentation and less expectedly highlight the existence of a single C atom loss channel. Molecules with more than two carbon atoms are not observed in the post-shock gas. The analysis of the solid component shows that C60 particles are rapidly converted into amorphous carbon with a number of aliphatic bridges. Conclusions. The absence of aromatic CH stretches on the IR spectra indicates that H atoms do not link directly to aromatic cycles. The fast thermal processing of C60 in H2 over the 800–3400 K temperature range leads to amorphous carbon. The analysis hints at a collapse of the cage with the formation of a few aliphatic connections. A low amount of hydrogen is incorporated into the carbon material. This work extends the range of applications of shock tubes to studies of astrophysical interest.
ISSN:0004-6361
1432-0746
1432-0756
DOI:10.1051/0004-6361/201629067