Nigel J. Mason

Cross Sections for Electron Collisions with Water Molecules

Cross section data have been compiled from the literature (to the end of 2003) for electron collisions with water (H2O) molecules. All major collision processes are reviewed including: total scattering, elastic scattering, momentum transfer, excitation of rotational, vibrational, and electronic states, ionization, electron attachment, dissociation, and emission of radiation. In each case we assess the collected data and provide a recommendation of the values of the cross section to be used. They are presented in a tabular form. Isotope effects (H2O versus D2O) are discussed as far as information is available.

The 2012 Plasma Roadmap

Low-temperature plasma physics and technology are diverse and interdisciplinary fields. The plasma parameters can span many orders of magnitude and applications are found in quite different areas of daily life and industrial production. As a consequence, the trends in research, science and technology are difficult to follow and it is not easy to identify the major challenges of the field and their many sub-fields. Even for experts the road to the future is sometimes lost in the mist. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics is addressing this need for clarity and thus providing guidance to the field by this special Review article, The 2012 Plasma Roadmap.

A combined experimental and theoretical study on the formation of the amino acid glycine (NH2CH2COOH) and its isomer (CH3NHCOOH) in extraterrestrial ices

We have investigated the synthesis of the simplest aminoacid, glycine, by Galactic cosmic-ray particles in extraterrestrialices.Laboratoryexperimentscombinedwithelectronicstructurecalculationsshowedthatamethylamine molecule [CH3NH2(X 1 A 0 )] can be dissociated through interaction with energetic electrons in the track of a cosmicray particle to form atomic hydrogen and the radicals CH2NH2(X 2 A 0 )a nd CH3NH(X 2 A 0 ). Hydrogen atoms with sufficient kinetic energy could overcome the entrance barrier to add to a carbon dioxide molecule [CO2(X 1 � þ )], yielding a trans-hydroxycarbonyl radical, HOCO(X 2 A 0 ). Neighboring radicals with the correct geometric orientation then recombine to form glycine, NH2CH2COOH(X 1 A), and also its isomer, CH3NHCOOH(X 1 A). These findings expose for the first time detailed reaction mechanisms of how the simplest amino acid glycine and its isomer can be synthesized via nonequilibrium chemistry in interstellar and cometary ices. Our results offer an important alternative to aqueous and photon-induced formation of amino acids in comets and in molecular clouds. These results also predict the existence of a hitherto undetected isomer of glycine in the interstellar medium, suggest that glycine should be observable on Saturn’s moon Titan, and help to account for the synthesis of more complex amino acids in the Murchison and Orgueil meteorites.

Total cross sections for metastable excitation in the rare gases

The authors present total absolute cross sections for metastable production in the rare gases by electron impact excitation, from threshold to 140 eV. Detailed comparison is made with previous experimental and theoretical work. The effects of atomic recoil in the detection process are discussed.

Dissociative electron attachment to formic acid (HCOOH)

Dissociative electron attachment to formic acid as a fundamental center in enzymatic activity is studied. A prominent resonance is observed peaking at 1.25 eV which decomposes into the formate anion HCOO− and a hydrogen radical. Resonances at higher energy are associated with O− and OH− formation on a considerably smaller intensity scale. On the basis of high level ab initio calculations, the low energy feature arises from different closely spaced single particle shape resonances with no specific valence character. The HCOO− ion yield carries structure which is tentatively ascribed to vibrational excitation in the formate anion.

The Virtual Atomic and Molecular Data Centre (VAMDC) Consortium

The Virtual Atomic and Molecular Data Centre (VAMDC) Consortium is a worldwide consortium which federates atomic and molecular databases through an e-science infrastructure and an organisation to support this activity. About 90% of the inter-connected databases handle data that are used for the interpretation of astronomical spectra and for modelling in many fields of astrophysics. Recently the VAMDC Consortium has connected databases from the radiation damage and the plasma communities, as well as promoting the publication of data from Indian institutes. This paper describes how the VAMDC Consortium is organised for the optimal distribution of atomic and molecular data for scientific research. It is noted that the VAMDC Consortium strongly advocates that authors of research papers using data cite the original experimental and theoretical papers as well as the relevant databases.

VUV optical absorption and electron energy-loss spectroscopy of ozone

Absolute VUV optical absorption cross sections for ozone have been measured between 325 and 110 nm (3.0 - 11.3 eV) using a synchrotron radiation source. Vibrational fine structure is resolved in Rydberg bands and comparison of this with the limiting bands in the photoelectron spectrum confirms that the order (increasing ionization energy) of the three lowest ionization bands is . Near-threshold electron energy-loss spectra have also been recorded. In these, in addition to the known triplet states between 1 and 2 eV, a low-lying triplet state has been located around 3.4 eV and several others between 6 and 9 eV. Characterization of the valence states (both optically allowed and forbidden) are discussed in relation to the results of early theoretical computations which seem to give a good account of the ozone spectrum.

Novel measurements of refractive index, density and mid-infrared integrated band strengths for solid O2, N2O and NO2: N2O4 mixtures

We present novel measurements of the refractive index, density and integrated band strengths of mid-infrared features of solid N(2)O at 16K and of NO(2) and N(2)O(4) in two frozen NO(2):N(2)O(4) mixtures deposited at 16 and 60K. The refractive index and density measurements were performed also for frozen O(2) deposited at 16K. In this case, the integrated band strength values could not be determined since O(2) is a homonuclear molecule and therefore its fundamental mode is not infrared active. The solid samples were analysed by infrared spectroscopy in the 8000/800cm(-1) range. The sample thickness was measured by the interference curve obtained using a He-Ne laser operating at 543nm. The refractive index at this laser wavelength was obtained, by numerical methods, from the measured amplitude of the interference curve. The density values were obtained using the Lorentz-Lorenz relation. Integrated band strength values were then obtained by a linear fit of the integrated band intensities plotted versus column density values. The astrophysical relevance of these novel measurements is briefly discussed.

VUV spectroscopy and photo-processing of astrochemical ices: an experimental study

In order to understand much of the chemistry that underpins astronomical phenomena (e.g. star and planet formation) it is essential to probe the physico-chemistry of ice surfaces under astronomical conditions. The physical properties and chemical reactivity of such icy surfaces depends upon its morphology. Thus it is necessary to explore how the morphology of astrochemical ices is influenced by their local environment (e.g. temperature and pressure) and the mechanisms by which they are processed. In this paper we report the results of a series of experiments to explore the morphology of a variety of molecular ices using VUV spectroscopy. Spectral signatures are found that may allow the morphology of such ices to be identified.

Experimental study of negative corona discharge in pure carbon dioxide and its mixtures with oxygen

The products of a negative corona discharge in both pure CO2 and mixtures of CO2 + O2 have been studied using a coaxial cylindrical electrode geometry with particular emphasis on the production of ozone. The discharge current in pure CO2 was found to be highly sensitive to the presence of trace concentrations of molecular oxygen and to changes in the flow speed through the discharge. The effect of dissociative electron attachment to ozone on the discharge current was studied by measurements of ozone and CO production. The ozone concentration increases monotonically with increasing content of oxygen in the mixture with carbon dioxide, whereas the CO concentration exhibits a flat maximum for oxygen concentrations of around 4%. A simple kinetic model of the dominant chemical processes is described and compared with the experimental results.