FELIX Laboratory

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Researchers from HFML-FELIX and the University of Amsterdam have extended the boundaries of IRMPD spectroscopy of photostable ions by recording IR spectra of several PAH cations over the range of 6-100 µm using the intracavity free-electron laser FELICE at Radboud University in Nijmegen, where the (far)infrared and THz light intensities are such that bands with very low absorption strengths at long wavelengths can still be excited sufficiently efficient that dissociation occurs. These observations promise the extension of the spectral range used for spectral identification of molecules in space to at least 100 µm.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are abundant in many regions of the universe, representing a major reservoir for cosmic carbon. However, their formation pathways in cold regions of space remained elusive. Until now. Experimental studies at HFML-FELIX at Radboud University recently provided evidence for alternative formation routes of PAHs in cold environments of the universe like molecular clouds or planetary atmospheres. The results have been published in Nature Astronomy.