New Insights into the Fragmentation of Key Aromatic Molecules in Space

Recent research has focused on the photofragmentation of two polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), corannulene (C₂₀H₁₀) and sumanene (C₂₁H₁₂), which are significant in astrophysical contexts. The study, titled "Photofragmentation of Corannulene (C₂₀H₁₀) and Sumanene (C₂₁H₁₂) cations in gas phase and its Astrophysical implications," was conducted by P. Sundararajan and colleagues and published on arXiv.

The research highlights that aromatic infrared bands (AIBs) dominate the mid-infrared spectra of various galactic and extragalactic sources. These bands are generally attributed to fluorescent emissions from aromatic molecules. The study gained relevance with the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which enhances the sensitivity and resolution of mid-infrared observations.

In their experiments, the authors investigated the fragmentation pathways of the cations of corannulene and sumanene when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) photons. They found that these larger PAHs can fragment into smaller hydrocarbons, a process that is crucial in photo-dissociation regions (PDRs) in space. The findings indicate that the fragmentation pathways differ between the two molecules due to their structural differences, particularly the arrangement of pentagon rings. Despite these differences, both compounds produced similar low-mass cations, which could be significant for astronomical detection.

The implications of this research extend to understanding the chemical processes occurring in space, particularly in regions where PAHs are abundant. The study suggests that the low-mass cations resulting from the fragmentation could play a role in the formation of other astrochemically relevant species. This work contributes to the broader understanding of how complex organic molecules evolve in the interstellar medium and their potential contributions to the chemistry of the universe.

For further details, the full paper can be accessed here.