Rodrigo Rodrigues

PhD Student
PhD Programme: RaBBiT
Thematic Line: Atomic and Molecular Collisions

Lab Number: 123 - Ed. I

Email: rar09843@campus.fct.unl.pt

Research Areas

 

PhD Project: Fragmentation pathways of astrochemical relevant molecules probed by low energy electron interactions

Resume: 

Astronomic observations have reported more than 200 molecules and ions present in interstellar medium (ISM), including organic molecules such as benzene, glycolaldehyde, or even chiral molecules. There are several different sources of radiation in the ISM, namely UV radiation, cosmic rays, gamma- and X-rays. All these sources of radiation can thermalize producing slow electrons, as secondary species, along radiation track.

The present PhD project intends to study the interaction of low energy electrons with astrochemical relevant molecules found in the ISM to understand and draw scientific hypothesis about the fragmentation pathways and suggest chemistry involved in such processes. The negative and positive ion formation of some astrochemical compounds will be studied by means of dissociative ionization and dissociative electron attachment processes. The studies will be carried out in a crossed electron-molecule beam apparatus equipped with a trochoidal electron monochromator coupled with a Time-of-Flight mass spectrometer.