PRONEXT

PRONEXT (Nebular Processes on the Surface of Extraterrestrial Grains) is an experiment developed at the IAS.

The PRONEXT experiment (Nebular Processes on the Surface of Extraterrestrial Grains) is a commercial cell (from SPECAC) that operates at various temperatures [300, 1000 K] and high pressures up to ~69 bar. It fits into the sample compartment of a Bruker VERTEX 70 FTIR spectrometer. PRONEXT enables the study of gas-surface interactions in controlled atmospheres.

This experiment, which builds on our previous work on simulations of extraterrestrial processes, aims to expand our research on interstellar silicates to focus more specifically on the role of silicate surfaces in the formation and delivery of volatiles to the surface of the early Earth.

Photograph of the experimental setup, showing the reaction gas inlet and outlet system on the right. In the center of the spectrometer, inside the sample chamber, is the PRONEXT cell (the cover is open here for the photo). 

Contacts

Advisors (scientific and technical)

  • Zahia Djouadi, Associate Professor and Team Leader, Astrochemistry & Origins
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