Radiation Meets Space Chemistry #worldresearchawards #researchaward #researcher #astrochemistry
Ionization plays a crucial role in shaping the chemistry of space, influencing how molecules form, react, and evolve across the universe. In the extreme environments of interstellar space—where temperatures are low, pressures are minimal, and radiation is intense—ionization becomes one of the dominant chemical drivers. This video explores how space molecules gain or lose electrons and why this process is fundamental to astrochemistry. Cosmic rays, ultraviolet radiation, and X-rays continuously bombard interstellar clouds, planetary atmospheres, and circumstellar disks. These high-energy sources ionize atoms and molecules, creating charged species that are far more reactive than their neutral counterparts. Molecular ions such as H₃⁺, CO⁺, and N₂H⁺ act as key intermediates, triggering complex reaction networks that lead to the formation of organic and prebiotic molecules. Ionization also affects the physical behavior of space environments. Charged molecules interact with magnetic field...