KETENE FORMATION IN INTERSTELLAR ICES: A LABORATORY STUDY.

The formation of ketene (H2CCO, ethenone) in polar and apolar ices was studied with in situ 0.8 MeV proton irradiation, far-UVphotolysis, and infrared spectroscopic analyses at 10–20 K. Using isotopically enriched reagents, unequivocal evidencewas obtained for ketene synthesis in H2O-rich and CO2-rich ices, and several reaction products were identified. Results from scavenging experiments suggested that ketene was formed by free-radical pathways, as opposed to acid–base processes or redox reactions. Finally, we use our results to draw conclusions about the formation and stability of ketene in the interstellar medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]