Laboratório de Astroquímica e Astrobiologia (LASA), Universidade do Vale do Paraíba (UNIVAP) – Instituto de Pesquisa & Desenvolvimento (IP&D), São Paulo, Brazil
LASA’s group is focused in studying the thermal and energetic processing of astrophysical ices analogs and their astrophysical implications in planetary or interstellar environments.
The experimental array is composed by line of gases and liquids coupled to a ultra-high vacuum chamber, which holds a cryostat that could be cooled at around 10K. Once the ices are formed, they might be heated until the room temperature or irradiated by a UV lamp (Ly peak), or bombarded by an electron gun. During the experiments, the chemical changes are analyzed in situ by absorption spectroscopy using a FTIR (4000 – 500 cm-1 or 2.5 – 20 m) and by a QMS. In addition a GC/MS is available for a residual analysis.
The absorbance spectrum obtained from the experiments are used to calculate the complex refractive index in the infrared by using the NKABS code, that are applied in radiative transfer simulation of Young Stellar Objects.
LASA’s group will contribute in providing absorbance spectrum of virgin and processed ices, as well as the complex refractive index in the infrared.