Photochemistry of solid interstellar molecular samples exposed to vacuum-ultraviolet synchrotron radiation

At the vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) beamline of the Taiwan synchrotron, an end station for photochemistry coupled to instruments to record infrared absorption spectra and ultraviolet and visible emission spectra is used to investigate the photolysis of samples of gases condensed at 3 K. This end station is applicable to explore the VUV photochemistry of interstellar molecules in solid samples. For demonstration, we discuss the response of solid dinitrogen to VUV irradiation. In the future, the upgraded photochemistry end station is applicable to investigate the cometary mixed-ice analogs excited with VUV light from the synchrotron. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.