Experimental evidence for major impact of micron-sized dust particles in the universe
A French/Dutch team of astronomers, including Stéphanie Cazaux from the Kapteyn Institute, University of Groningen, has proved via laboratory tests that molecules in microscopically small dust particles in space can be directly transformed into gas. These findings may have important consequences for theories on the chemical structure of the universe and the way stars are formed. The findings were published online in Nature Scientific Reports on February 26th.

Article: Dulieu, F. et al. How micron-sized dust particles determine the chemistry of our Universe. Sci. Rep. 3, 1338
http://www.nature.com/srep/2013/130226/srep01338/full/srep01338.html DOI:10.1038/srep01338 (2013)
More information:
Contact: Stephanie Cazaux, University of Groningen Kapteyn Institute
E-mail:
cazaux astro.rug.nl
Last modified: | 22 August 2024 1.34 p.m. |
More news
-
08 October 2025
Not all plastic needs to be bio-based or biodegradable
Per person, we throw away about 33 kilos of plastic packaging per year. Professor of Polymer Chemistry Katja Loos is working on a more sustainable future for plastics - by looking at more than the material itself.
-
06 October 2025
The GenAI-bubble will burst, but don’t give up on AI altogether
'People keep promoting the belief that generative AI provides universal tools that are capable of much more,’ says Michael Biehl, Professor of Machine Learning. ‘Sooner or later, the genAI bubble will burst,’ he is certain. But that doesn’t mean all...
-
01 October 2025
In Science Podcast: Ajay Kottapalli about seal whiskers and ultrasensitive sensors
'In Science' is the podcast of the University of Groningen. In this episode, we’re joined by Ajay Kottapalli, Associate Professor at the Engineering and Technology Institute Groningen and co-founder of the Sencilia startup.