INTERSTELLAR CHEMISTRYTHE CHEMISTRY OF UNIVERSE

CONTENTS• Introduction• Interstellar Medium (ISM)• Chemistry of Super Hot & Super Cooled Atmosphere• Chemical Reactions In ISM & Quantum Tunnelling• Applications• Conclusion

INTRODUCTIONWe can not apply the laws of Chemistry that we are using in our planet to describe various chemical phenomena in Space. As all chemical processes depend upon physical conditions, which is completely different in every point of Universe.So when we move towards interstellar medium, chemistry is different for us due to variation in physical environment. The three main physical conditions that bring change in chemical processes in ISM are1. Very low pressure2. Extreme temperature difference (from very low to very high)3. High energetic radiations like gamma rays, x-rays & cosmic rays.All these phenomena do not allow any type of chemical reactions in ISM still those happen.

ISM

Super Hot Moderate Super cooled[near stars] [Cosmic dusts] [boomerang nebula (2K) ]

(Depending only upon the temperature deference, since pressure is very low it has no role & it is consider to be constant everywhere in space.)

Scientists have been identified almost all these elements of periodic table in ISM in various states (solid, gas, liquid, plasma) depending upon their environment.Apart from this a large number of molecules, both organic & inorganic, even some polymers are also detected there.Mainly ISM is filled with Hydrogen & Helium in grater proportion as these are the simplest elements that till we know.Cosmic dusts are found everywhere in space which plays a very important role in various chemical processes.Various cosmic rays & electromagnetic radiations like gamma ray, x-ray, are also found there which could alter the chemical processes occurring there.

COSMIC DUST1. Cosmic dusts are found almost everywhere

in space , believed to be originated from Stars, when they collapsed or created.

2. So analysing the chemistry of these dusts we could have some idea about the chemistry of stars.

3. Cosmic dusts also provide sites for a chemical reaction. (adsorption)

4. The central part is made up of graphite, silicate and iron with a little bit oxygen surrounded by mantle of water ice and CO along with poly cyclic aromatic hydrocarbon chain & poly formaldehyde.

5. But the structure may vary due to the variation in type of production of interstellar dusts.

Super Hot Atmosphere• This type of environment only found near stars like our Sun.• Mainly stars composed of hydrogen and helium(fuel of stars) with a

few other heavier elements like oxygen, carbon, neon, nitrogen, magnesium, iron and silicon closer to the core.• Due to fusion reaction enormous amount of energy(heat & light)

released & comes out which turns its outer most atmosphere ionic & plasma.• Various electromagnetic radiations like gamma ray, x ray, are

originated from this effect

Chemistry Of The Neutron Star “Rise of the black hole”

• Smallest star but highest density• Super massive Stars converted to neutron stars when they are out of

fuels.• When fuel finished the gravitational force is balance by the electron

degeneracy pressure obeying the Pauli exclusion principle which states ‘no two quantum particles have all same quantum number.• But further deposition of mass at the core increase the gravity as a

result of which EDP falls and neutron degeneracy pressure set up.

(Super gravitational pull is balanced by (Stars running out of fuel, converting ( This is a neutron star

Energy exhausted outside by fusion.) to a iron rich core. Here the super gravity containing only

is balanced by electron degeneracy pressure. Neutrons. It again

But by addition of mass gravity increases further further collapsed to

which overcome the EDP as a result of which Star form a black hole.) get collapsed with release of enormous amount Of energy by fusion of proton and electron releasing Neutrons and neutrinos. Due to this release of energyThe infalling outer atmosphere flung outwards resultinga SUPERNOVA.)

Cosmic Rays ChemistryAfter the discovery of radioactivity scientists able to know a little bit about gamma rays from various radioactive metals. But finding of such types of electromagnetic radiations in higher altitude surprised them, from which a new term arose.These are the highly energised (3×1022 ev) charged particles, moving at a velocity of light, imagine to be produced from outer side of our solar system due to various astro physical process like Supernova & Black hole.When they collide with molecules like Oxygen & nitrogen in their way of travelling, they produce various electro magnetic radiations like gamma ray and X- ray. So they induces radioactivity thus plays a very important role in astro chemical reactions.

1% heavier nuclei

Cosmic Ray

8% α nuclei 1% β particle

99% atomic nuclei90% protons

1%

Chemical Process In ISM (Ultra Cool region)

This is a giant cloud of alcohol found by scientists, 26000 light years away from earth & 1000 times larger than the diameter of our solar system. It contains enough ethyl alcohol that could fill 400 trillion trillion pints of beer.

• Recently Scientists have found a dense cloud of methane in ISM. But they were unable to explain the formation of such molecules in ISM where all these conditions go against it.

• A team at university of LEEDS, UK recently found a theoretical mechanism which could solve the way of formation of organic molecules in space even in drastic conditions.

• A phenomenon called Quantum Tunnelling is able to explain the chemical reactions occurring in ISM.

• Scientists by creating an artificial system (very low temperature system) able to describe the formation of methoxy radical from methanol without using any activation energy concept.

Quantum Tunnelling

• Chemical reactions get slower as temperatures decrease, as there is less energy to get over the ‘reaction barrier.’ But quantum mechanics tells us that it is possible to cheat and dig through this barrier instead of going over it. This is called ‘quantum tunnelling.• When Schrodinger wave equation was solved, taking an electron in

between two wall having infinite potential , then scientists found, there is a small probability of finding the electron out side the wall mathematically.• How ever it was believed that electron without crossing the wall,

makes a tunnel through it as a result of which it makes itself available outside the wall. This is called quantum tunnelling.

• In a artificial medium, where the temperature is very low, scientists by using quantum tunnelling concept, able to describe the formation of methoxy radical from methanol.• Here hydroxy radical (OH.) makes a tunnel through the activation

energy barrier to extract the hydrogen radical (H.) from methanol.

Applications• Identification of New elements.• Understanding the origin & construction of Universe.• Protection of earth from various cosmic effect.• Identification of presence of Black holes by analysing various

radiations by black hole environment.• Discovery of various states of matter which could alter our life style.• Discovery of life in other planet by various organic analysis.

CONCLUSION

• IT IS JUST THE BEGINNING….

•THANK YOU