Becky Rapf
Becky's website: https://www.trinity.edu/sites/rapf-research-group
A 3mm molecular line survey toward IRC+10216
Ao et al. arXiv (A&A)
https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.00434
Formation of Complex Organic Molecules in Prestellar Cores: The Role of Non-Diffusive Grain Chemistry
Borscheva et al. arXiv (ApJ)
https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.00338
CHemical Evolution in MassIve star-forming COres (CHEMICO). I. Evolution of the temperature structure
Fontani et al. arXiv (A&A)
https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.01519
Investigating Formation Pathways and the Spectroscopic Constants of Aluminum Nitrides from AlH and NH3
Palmer et al. JPCA
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jpca.5c01490
Long-Lived Isomers of C11H9+: New Experimental Insights from the PIRENEA Setup
Lozano et al. arXiv (ACS E&SC)
https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.06667
CO desorption from interstellar icy grains induced by IR excitation of superhydrogenated PAHs
Slumstrup et al. arXiv
https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.07896
A solar C/O ratio in planet-forming gas at 1 au in a highly irradiated disk
Schroetter et al. Nat Astronomy
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-025-02596-6
Refractory solid condensation detected in an embedded protoplanetary disk
McClure et al. Nature
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09163-z
Chemical transformation of CO in evolving protoplanetary discs across stellar masses: a route to C-rich inner regions
Sellek and van Dischoeck A&A
https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.11631
Investigation of Gas-Phase Formation of Glycolaldehyde, Glyceraldehyde, and Dihydroxyacetone under Interstellar Medium Conditions
Souza et al. ACS E&SC
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.5c00137
Ilsa Cooke chats with Stephen Kocheril
Stephen's Paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-025-02504-y
Discovery of the first interstellar comet!
Upcoming Meetings
No new conferences on our radar this month. There is also an astrochemistry session at this summer’s meeting of the European Astronomical Society, the 38th European Conference on Surface Science, focusing on the Surface Science of Astrochemical system is to be held August 24-29 in Braga, Portugal, and there’s a dedicated astrochemistry meeting at the PacificChem 2025 conference in December.
Job Opportunities
There is a PhD position available in Ugo Jacovella’s group at CNRS in Paris. The experimental research involves ion mobility, mass spectrometry, and laser spectroscopy techniques applied to large carbon-rich molecular ions in the gas phase, in the context of astrochemistry and astrophysics. The starting date for the PhD position is between October 1st and December 1st, 2025, and interested parties should contact Ugo directly.
PhD position (funded by the Académie Spatiale d’Île-de-France) in laser spectroscopy applied to astrochemistry is available in the Jacovella group at the University of Paris-Saclay (France). The experimental research involves ion mobility, mass spectrometry, and laser spectroscopy techniques applied to large carbon-rich molecular ions in the gas phase, in the context of astrochemistry and astrophysics.
Available equipment includes pulsed dye lasers and OPO laser systems, cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) coupled to a discharge source mounted at the exit of a molecular beam, an ablation laser source, and a drift-tube mobility spectrometer. A cryo-ion trap coupled to a time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer is currently under construction. One project may also involve the development of a SLIM-based ion mobility spectrometer (all equipment available). The group is also strongly involved in international collaborations with astronomers through various programs (PDR4ALL, EDIBLES, etc.), using different telescopes and facilities (JWST, VLT, OHP) and is a regular user of the SOLEIL synchrotron facility (France).
Qualified candidates should hold a Master's degree in Physics, Physical Chemistry, or a related field. The position is for 3 years, and the successful applicant may serve as a teaching assistant if interested.
For further information, please contact Ugo at: ugo.jacovella@cnrs.fr
Finally, there are two PhD positions with Izaskun Jimenez-Serra at the Center of Astrobiology in Madrid. The first is for a student working on an observational study on the chemical complexity of starless and pre-stellar cores using surveys from the IRAM 30m and Yebes 40m telescopes. The second is on laboratory experiments of the energetic processing of complex organic molecules on interstellar ices analogs. The student will study the survivability of complex organic molecules of prebiotic interest in laboratory-generated interstellar ice analogues. These ices will be exposed to intense energetic processing by UV photons and high-energy electrons simulating the effects of cosmic rays.
Motivation letters and CVs can be sent to Izaskun directly.
https://sites.google.com/view/ercopens/team/job-opportunities
Icarus Special Issue
There’s a special issue in the journal Icarus on “Carbon in Planetary Environments: Sources and Evolution.” The description reads:
Carbon is one of the most abundant elements, and its chemical form and evolution play a significant role in shaping planetary environments. For example, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are a significant interstellar carbon reservoir, and work to characterize the chemistry and life-cycle of such material is ongoing. The interplay between carbon and oxygen in accretionary environments controls redox state and has implications for the composition of condensates. Carbon is the basis for organic chemistry that is critical for life as we know it, and may also provide valuable biosignatures for detection (remote and in situ) of extraterrestrial life. In planetary bodies, the exchange of carbon between atmospheres and interiors controls planetary climate, whereas atmospheric gases such as CO2 and CO are important for planetary habitability and CH4 is a potential biosignature gas. The linkages between inherited and evolved forms of carbon in planetary systems are coming in to sharper focus as ALMA and JWST expand our view of the cosmos, and sample return missions such as OSIRIS-REx, Hayabusa2, and Martian Moons Explorer (MMX) enable groundbreaking laboratory analysis of carbonaceous materials. At the same time, space exploration missions such as Europa Clipper, JUICE, and Dragonfly are rapidly expanding the boundaries of our knowledge, as preparations for future missions such as the Habitable Worlds Observatory continue. This Special Issue presents new research from laboratory experiments, modeling work, data analysis, and other scientific techniques on carbon in planetary systems and beyond, including astronomical sources.
Submissions will be due by Nov 30, 2025.