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Laboratory of Astrophysics & Surface Science

The current main research project is the study of physical and chemical processes in the interstellar medium and in planetary atmospheres. The group uses tools that were employed in the research of properties of solid surfaces (atom-surface interaction, surface morphology, phase transitions in ultra-thin films, thin film growth). These tools include: ultra=high vacuum techniques, atomic/molecular beams, low temperature techniques, mass s[ectrometry, in-situ infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS); laser spectroscopy (REMPI), LEED/Auger, Atom Force Microscopy (AFM), and MBE/vapor deposition of solid films.

There are four main directions in his group's research:

• The study of processes leading to the formation of molecular hydrogen on interstellar dust grain analogues in conditions relevant to astrophysical environments;
• The study of oxidation/hydrogenation reactions in/on interstellar ices and bare dust grain analogs;
• The study of formation of precursors to biogenic material on interstellar ice analogues;
• The study of the formation of biogenic molecules in planetary atmospheres, such as the atmosphere of Titan, the satellite of Saturn.

• D.Jing, J.He, J.Brucato, A.De Sio, L.Tozzetti, and G.Vidali: "On water formation in the interstellar medium: laboratory study of the O+D reaction on surfaces", Astrophys. J. Lett. 741, L9 (2011).
• J.He, P.Frank, and G.Vidali: "Interaction of hydrogen with surfaces of silicates: single crystal vs. amorphous", Phys.Chem.Chem.Phys. 13, 15803 (2011).
• J.L Lemaire, G.Vidali, S. Baouche, M.Chehrouri, H.Chaabouni, and H.Mokrane: "Competing mechanisms of molecular hydrogen formation in conditions relevant to the interstellar medium", Astrophys. J. Lett. , 725, 126 (2010)
• L.Li, H.Zhao, G.Vidali, Y.Frank, I.Lohmar, H.B.Perets, and O.Biham: "Interac- tion of Atomic and Molecular Hydrogen with Tholin Surfaces at Low Temperatures", J.Phys.Chem. A 114, 10575 (2010).
• J.He, K.Gao, G.Vidali, C.J.Bennett, and R.I.Kaiser: "Formation of molecular hydrogen desorption from methane ice", Astropys. J. 721, 1656 (2010)
• G.Vidali and L.Li: "Molecular hydrogen desorption from amorphous surfaces at low temperature", J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 22 (2010) 304012.
• S,Madzunkov, J.MacAskill, A .Chutjian, P.Ehrenfreund, M.Darrach, G.Vidali, and B.J.Shortt: "Formation of H2CO and CO2 on an icy grain analogue using fast H atoms", J. Phys.: Conference Series 194, 092005 (2009)
• G.Vidali, G., L. Li, J.E., Roser, and R. Badman: Catalytic Activity of Interstellar Grains: Formation of Molecular Hydrogen on Amorphous Silicates Adv.Space Res. 43, 1291(2009).

• Influence of Surface Morphology of Dust Grains on the Formation of Molecular Hydrogen inthe Interstellar Medium Invited presentation at the "Dust and Ice" SELAC Workshop at the University of Georgia (Athens, GA 2010) (pdf format)
• Formation of Molecular Hydrogen in the Interstellar Medium Invited presentation at the "Bridging Laboratory and Astrophysics" Meeting-in-the-Meeting of the 212th American Astronomical Society Meeting (St.Louis, 2008) (pdf format)
• Formation of Molecules on Titan's Aerosol Particles Poster at the Divion of Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society Meeting (Orlando, Fl., October 2007) (pdf format)
• "Formation of Molecules on Analogues of Interstellar Dust Grians", invited presentation at the Nobel Symposium No.133: Cosmic Chemistry and Molecular Astrophysics (Sweden, June 2006) (pdf format)
• "A Summary of Experimental Results on H₂ Formation on Dust Grain Analogues", an invited presentation at the International Astronomical Union Symposium #231 on Astrochemsitry (Asilomar, Ca., August 2005) (pdf format).

• Interstellar Medium Physics and Chemistry Colloquium at Syracuse University, Physics Department (November 2002) (pdf file)
  
• In this invited presentation (in PowerPoint format) at the American Chemical Society National Meeting in Boston, Mass. (August 2002) Description of research on hydrogen recombination reactions on several interstellar dust grain analogues and on the oxidation of carbon monoxide ice by oxygen atoms.
  
• Lay-language paper about hydrogen recombination on interstellar dust grains. It was prepared for a press conference held on March 24, 1999 at the American Physical Society Centennial Meeting in Atlanta (html)



Questions? Contact Prof. Vidali