Identifying the most constraining ice observations to infer molecular binding energies

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 517, pp. 38–46

Abstract

ABSTRACT In order to understand grain-surface chemistry, one must have a good understanding of the reaction rate parameters. For diffusion-based reactions, these parameters are binding energies of the reacting species. However, attempts to estimate these values from grain-surface abundances using Bayesian inference are inhibited by a lack of enough sufficiently constraining data. In this work, we use the Massive Optimised Parameter Estimation and Data compression algorithm to determine which species should be prioritized for future ice observations to better constrain molecular binding energies. Using the results from this algorithm, we make recommendations for which species future observations should focus on.

Authors 4

1. Johannes Heyl corresponding

   University College London

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London , Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK

2. Elena Sellentin Aachen Leiden Observatory Huygens Laboratory Mathematical Institute

   Leiden University · Leiden Observatory

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Huygens Laboratory , Niels Bohrweg 2, NL-2333 CA Leiden, The Netherlands

   Mathematical Institute, Leiden University , Snellius Building, Niels Bohrweg 1, NL-2333 CA Leiden, The Netherlands

3. Jonathan Holdship Aachen Leiden Observatory Huygens Laboratory

   Leiden University · Leiden Observatory · University College London

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London , Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK

   Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Huygens Laboratory , Niels Bohrweg 2, NL-2333 CA Leiden, The Netherlands

4. S. Viti corresponding Aachen Leiden Observatory Huygens Laboratory

   Leiden University · Leiden Observatory · University College London

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London , Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK

   Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Huygens Laboratory , Niels Bohrweg 2, NL-2333 CA Leiden, The Netherlands