Astrochemistry: How do you study the chemistry of something you cannot observe?
Honors Capstone Project
1
Advisor(s)
Dr. Trilisa Perrine
Dr. Susan Bates
Confirmation
1
Document Type
Paper
Location
ONU McIntosh Center; Wishing Well
Start Date
21-4-2026 3:55 PM
End Date
21-4-2026 4:10 PM
Abstract
When you think about observing outer space, what do you picture? Do you picture someone in their backyard with a telescope? Maybe you see a radar array in a wide-open field swarmed with NASA scientists. What about the Mars rover trundling over reddish terrain after a perilous journey through the great emptiness of space? Although these are all ways of studying what lies beyond our planet, there are great limitations to these techniques. Direct measurements from Earth’s surface gives limited information, and bringing back astronomical samples is expensive and introduces many sources of error. Therefore, scientists have had to adapt and invent new and exciting ways to combat these issues. To utilize Earthbound lab techniques, scientists, and especially astrochemists, have turned to simulating interstellar environments in order to study not only what is out there, but how it works on an atomic scale. Extreme temperatures, pressures, and radiation all affect the chemistry of interstellar bodies. To bring the intricacies of astrochemistry to the public eye, examples of astrochemistry experiments are outlined and explained in simple terms. The information comes together in a simple pamphlet and a model of a photoionization reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer (PI-ReTOF-MS) setup used by a lab at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. The goal is to get the public more excited about astronomical (and especially astrochemical) research by explaining how scientists are pursuing their passions in this somewhat niche field and highlighting how much more there is to discover.
Recommended Citation
Pacek, Emily Joy, "Astrochemistry: How do you study the chemistry of something you cannot observe?" (2026). ONU Student Research Colloquium. 18.
https://digitalcommons.onu.edu/student_research_colloquium/2026/Papers/18
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Astrochemistry: How do you study the chemistry of something you cannot observe?
ONU McIntosh Center; Wishing Well
When you think about observing outer space, what do you picture? Do you picture someone in their backyard with a telescope? Maybe you see a radar array in a wide-open field swarmed with NASA scientists. What about the Mars rover trundling over reddish terrain after a perilous journey through the great emptiness of space? Although these are all ways of studying what lies beyond our planet, there are great limitations to these techniques. Direct measurements from Earth’s surface gives limited information, and bringing back astronomical samples is expensive and introduces many sources of error. Therefore, scientists have had to adapt and invent new and exciting ways to combat these issues. To utilize Earthbound lab techniques, scientists, and especially astrochemists, have turned to simulating interstellar environments in order to study not only what is out there, but how it works on an atomic scale. Extreme temperatures, pressures, and radiation all affect the chemistry of interstellar bodies. To bring the intricacies of astrochemistry to the public eye, examples of astrochemistry experiments are outlined and explained in simple terms. The information comes together in a simple pamphlet and a model of a photoionization reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer (PI-ReTOF-MS) setup used by a lab at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. The goal is to get the public more excited about astronomical (and especially astrochemical) research by explaining how scientists are pursuing their passions in this somewhat niche field and highlighting how much more there is to discover.