2024-08-03 02:10:42
Of course, to understand these aspects, we need to find out as well as possible the properties of the ice itself. It has long been known that ice with a crystalline structure absorbs infrared rays three micrometers long.
In laboratory experiments, a 2.7-micrometer-long absorption band associated with incompletely frozen water molecules was detected. Now, for the first time, it has also been recorded in real interstellar material.
The signal was detected by astronomers at various locations in the direction of the cold gas cloud visible in the Chameleon constellation. Like many similar discoveries recently, this one was made using the James Webb Telescope. Its spectral resolution and sensitivity were sufficient to distinguish even two close spectral lines – 2.703 and 2.753 micrometers long.
The former is likely due to water molecules partially attached to other ice, while the latter is due to water molecules partially attached to other molecules. Further, more in-depth analysis of the signals will help us understand how solid the ice pellets are, and how many pores and cavities they contain, where interesting chemical reactions can take place.
Research results published in Nature Astronomy.
2024-08-03 02:10:42