UV-photoprocessing of acetic acid (CH3COOH)-bearing interstellar ice analogues

Abstract

ABSTRACT Acetic acid (CH3COOH) was detected in the gas towards interstellar clouds, hot cores, protostars, and comets. Its formation in ice mantles was proposed, and acetic acid awaits detection in the infrared spectra of the ice as most of the other complex organic molecules except methanol. The thermal annealing and UV-irradiation of acetic acid in the ice was simulated experimentally in this work under astrophysically relevant conditions. The experiments were performed under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. An ice layer was formed by vapour deposition onto a cold substrate, and was warmed up or exposed to ultraviolet (UV) photons. The ice was monitored by infrared spectroscopy, while the molecules desorbing to the gas phase were measured using a quadrupole mass spectrometer. The transformation of the CH3COOH monomers to cyclic dimers occurs at 120 K, and the crystal form composed of chain polymers was observed above 160 K during warm-up of the ice. Ice sublimation proceeds at 189 K in our experiments. Upon UV-irradiation, simpler species and radicals are formed, which leads to a residue made of complex molecules after warm-up to the room temperature. The possible formation of oxalic acid needs to be confirmed. The photodestruction of acetic acid molecules is reduced when mixed with water in the ice. This work may serve to search for the acetic acid photoproducts in lines of sight where this species is detected. A comparison of the reported laboratory infrared spectra with current JWST observations allows to detect or set upper limits on the CH3COOH abundances in interstellar and circumstellar ice mantles.