The study of the evolution of organic matter subjected to space conditions, and more specifically... more The study of the evolution of organic matter subjected to space conditions, and more specifically to Solar photons in the vacuum ultraviolet range (120–200 nm) has been undertaken in low-Earth orbit since the 1990s, and implemented on various space platforms. This paper describes a photochemistry experiment called AMINO, conducted during 22 months between 2009 and 2011 on the EXPOSE-R ESA facility, outside the International Space Station. Samples with relevance to astrobiology (connected to comets, carbonaceous meteorites and micrometeorites, the atmosphere of Titan and RNA world hypothesis) have been selected and exposed to space environment. They have been analysed after return to the Earth. This paper is not discussing the results of the experiment, but rather gives a general overview of the project, the details of the hardware used, its configuration and recent developments to enable long-duration exposure of gaseous samples in tight closed cells enabling for the first time to d...
Photochemistry is leading the chemical evolution in the Solar System. The VUV photolysis of organ... more Photochemistry is leading the chemical evolution in the Solar System. The VUV photolysis of organic compounds is easy to study in the laboratory, with monochromatic sources, but it is difficult to simulate the whole range of wavelengths corresponding to the most energetic part of the Solar radiation (<190nm). This is why the results obtained in laboratory are difficult to extrapolate
Solar UV radiation is a major source of energy to initiate chemical evolution towards complex org... more Solar UV radiation is a major source of energy to initiate chemical evolution towards complex organic structures, but it can also photodissociate the most elaborate molecules. Thus, Solar UV can erase the organic traces of past life on the surface of planets like Mars, or it can influence the production of extended sources(*) in comets. The VUV photolysis of organic
Photochemistry is leading the chemical evolution in the solar system. It is difficult to simulate... more Photochemistry is leading the chemical evolution in the solar system. It is difficult to simulate the the most energetic part of the solar radiation in the laboratory. Space and laboratory photolysis results are compared and discussed.
The study of the evolution of organic matter subjected to space conditions, and more specifically... more The study of the evolution of organic matter subjected to space conditions, and more specifically to Solar photons in the vacuum ultraviolet range (120–200 nm) has been undertaken in low-Earth orbit since the 1990s, and implemented on various space platforms. This paper describes a photochemistry experiment called AMINO, conducted during 22 months between 2009 and 2011 on the EXPOSE-R ESA facility, outside the International Space Station. Samples with relevance to astrobiology (connected to comets, carbonaceous meteorites and micrometeorites, the atmosphere of Titan and RNA world hypothesis) have been selected and exposed to space environment. They have been analysed after return to the Earth. This paper is not discussing the results of the experiment, but rather gives a general overview of the project, the details of the hardware used, its configuration and recent developments to enable long-duration exposure of gaseous samples in tight closed cells enabling for the first time to d...
Photochemistry is leading the chemical evolution in the Solar System. The VUV photolysis of organ... more Photochemistry is leading the chemical evolution in the Solar System. The VUV photolysis of organic compounds is easy to study in the laboratory, with monochromatic sources, but it is difficult to simulate the whole range of wavelengths corresponding to the most energetic part of the Solar radiation (<190nm). This is why the results obtained in laboratory are difficult to extrapolate
Solar UV radiation is a major source of energy to initiate chemical evolution towards complex org... more Solar UV radiation is a major source of energy to initiate chemical evolution towards complex organic structures, but it can also photodissociate the most elaborate molecules. Thus, Solar UV can erase the organic traces of past life on the surface of planets like Mars, or it can influence the production of extended sources(*) in comets. The VUV photolysis of organic
Photochemistry is leading the chemical evolution in the solar system. It is difficult to simulate... more Photochemistry is leading the chemical evolution in the solar system. It is difficult to simulate the the most energetic part of the solar radiation in the laboratory. Space and laboratory photolysis results are compared and discussed.
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Papers by F. Macari