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Context. Hydrogenation reactions of CO in inter- and circumstellar ices are regarded as an important starting point in the formation of more complex species. Previous laboratory measurements by two groups of the hydrogenation of CO ices provided controversial results about the formation rate of methanol.

It was in ‘The Magellanic Cloud’ (1955) – a science fiction novel by Stanislaw Lem – that engineers travelling to another star noticed that their spacecraft for unknown reasons overheated. The cause had to be outside the spaceship, but obviously there was only emptiness, at least compared to terrestrial conditions. The space between the stars, the interstellar medium (ISM), however, is not completely empty and at the high speed of the spacecraft the cross-section with impacting particles, even from such a dilute environment, was found to be sufficient to cause an overheating. Today, 60 years later, the ISM has been studied in detail by astronomical observations, reproduced in dedicated laboratory experiments and simulated by complex astrochemical models. The space between the stars is, indeed, far from empty; it comprises gas, dust and ice and the molecules detected so far are both small (diatomics) and large (long carbon chains, PAHs and fullerenes), stable and reactive (radicals, ions, and excited molecules) evidencing an exotic and fascinating chemistry, taking place at low densities, low temperatures and experiencing intense radiation fields. Astrochemists explain the observed chemical complexity in space – so far 185 different molecules (not including isotopologues) have been identified – as the cumulative outcome of reactions in the gas phase and on icy dust grains. Gas phase models explain the observed abundances of a substantial part of the observed species, but fail to explain the number densities for stable molecules, as simple as water, methanol or acetonitrile – one of the most promising precursor species for the simplest amino acid glycine – as well as larger compounds such as glycolaldehyde, dimethylether and ethylene glycol. Evidence has been found that these and other complex species, including organic ones, form on icy dust grains that act as catalytic sites for molecule formation. It is here where particles ‘accrete, meet, and greet’ (i.e. freeze out, diffuse and react) upon energetic and non-energetic processing, such as irradiation by vacuum UV light, interaction with impacting particles (atoms, electrons and cosmic rays) or heating. This review paper summarises the state-of-the-art in laboratory based interstellar ice chemistry. The focus is on atom addition reactions, illustrating how water, carbon dioxide and methanol can form in the solid state at astronomically relevant temperatures, and also the formation of more complex species such as hydroxylamine, an important prebiotic molecule, and glycolaldehyde, the smallest sugar, is discussed. These reactions are particularly relevant during the ‘dark’ ages of star and planet formation, i.e. when the role of UV light is restricted. A quantitative characterization of such processes is only possible through dedicated laboratory studies, i.e. under full control of a large set of parameters such as temperature, atom-flux, and ice morphology. The resulting numbers, physical and chemical constants, e.g. barrier heights, reaction rates and branching ratios, provide information on the molecular processes at work and are needed as input for astrochemical models, in order to bridge the timescales typical for a laboratory setting to those needed to understand the evolutionary stages of the ISM. Details of the experiments as well as the astrochemical impact of the results are discussed.

The ubiquity of sulfur ions within the Jovian magnetosphere has led to suggestions that the implantation of these ions into the surface of Europa may lead to the formation of SO2. However, previous studies on the implantation of sulfur ions into H2O ice (the dominant species on the Europan surface) have failed to detect SO2formation. Other studies concerned with similar implantations into CO2ice, which is also known to exist on Europa, have offered seemingly conflicting results. In this letter, we describe the results of a study on the implantation of 290 keV S+ions into condensed CO2at 20 and 70 K. Our results demonstrate that SO2is observed after implantation at 20 K, but not at the Europa‐relevant temperature of 70 K. We conclude that this process is likely not a reasonable mechanism for SO2formation on Europa, and that other mechanisms should be explored instead. SO2ice is known to exist at the surface of one of Jupiter's moons; Europa. However, the method by which this ice forms is still uncertain. Due to the orbit of Europa being within the giant magnetosphere of Jupiter, it has been proposed that sulfur ions within the magnetosphere could implant into the cold surface ices on Europa and subsequently react to form SO2. However, laboratory experiments looking into the implantation of such ions into H2O ice (the dominant ice on Europa's surface) and CO2ice have either failed to yield SO2or have provided inconclusive results. We have therefore performed an experiment in which we have implanted high‐energy sulfur ions into CO2ice at two temperatures. Our results indicate that such implantations are unlikely to be the mechanism by which the SO2on Europa is formed, and that other chemical processes should be considered instead. Sulfur ions were implanted into CO2ices at 20 and 70 K to simulate Jovian magnetospheric radiation chemistry at the surface of EuropaSO2was observed to be among the radiolytic products at 20 K, but not at the more Europa‐relevant temperature of 70 KAlternative explanations for the formation of SO2on the surface of Europa should be considered Sulfur ions were implanted into CO2ices at 20 and 70 K to simulate Jovian magnetospheric radiation chemistry at the surface of Europa SO2was observed to be among the radiolytic products at 20 K, but not at the more Europa‐relevant temperature of 70 K Alternative explanations for the formation of SO2on the surface of Europa should be considered

Abstract: It has been a long standing problem in astrochemistry to explain how molecules can form in a highly dilute environment such as the interstellar medium. In recent years it has become clear that not only ion/radical-molecule gas-phase reactions, but also solid state reactions on icy dust grains play an important role in the formation of new species. In order to investigate the underlying processes, laboratory based experiments are needed to simulate surface reactions induced by photon (UV) processing or particle (atom, cosmic ray, electron) bombardment of interstellar ice analogs. Here, the latest research performed on SURFace REaction SImulation DEvice (SURFRESIDE), one of the ultra-high vacuum setups in the Sackler Laboratory for Astrophysics in Leiden is reviewed. The focus is on hydrogenation, i.e., H-atom addition reactions in interstellar ice analogs for astronomically relevant temperatures. We discuss how molecules form when CO and O2 containing ices are exposed to thermal hydrogen atoms under fully controlled experimental conditions. Surface formation schemes for interstellar relevant species, such as solid methanol, water, and carbon dioxide are investigated and chemical links between molecular species in space are discussed.

Context. Space infrared observations with ISO-SWS and Spitzer telescopes have clearly shown that solid carbon dioxide?(CO2) is ubiquitous and abundant along the line of sight to quiescent clouds and star forming regions. Due to the CO2low gas-phase abundance, it is suggested that CO2is synthesized on grains after energetic processing of icy mantles and/or surface reactions.Aims. We study quantitatively the abundance of carbon dioxide synthesized from ice mixtures of astrophysical relevance induced by ion irradiation at low temperature. We compare the CO2stretching and bending-mode band profiles observed towards some young stellar objects (YSOs) for which infrared spectra exist.Methods. Using a high vacuum experimental setup, the effects induced by fast ions (30-200?keV) on several ice mixtures of astrophysical interest are investigated. Chemical and structural modifications of the ice samples that form new molecular species are analyzed using infrared spectroscopy. The formation cross section of solid CO2is estimated from the increase in column density as a function of the dose fitting of experimental data with an exponential curve.Results. Our laboratory experiments showed that carbon dioxide is formed after irradiation of ice mixtures containing C- and O-bearing molecules. Furthermore, when the same amount of energy is released into the icy sample, a larger amount of CO2is formed in H2O-rich mixtures in agreement with previous studies. We also found that the CO2stretching and bending mode band profiles depend on the mixture and temperature of the ice sample. We found that the amount of carbon dioxide formed after ion irradiation can account for the observed carbon dioxide towards YSOs. Furthermore, we discovered that laboratory spectra are a good spectroscopic analogue of the interstellar features.Conclusions. Even if the comparison between laboratory and observed spectra presented here cannot be considered unique and complete, our results quantitatively support the hypothesis that interstellar solid CO2?forms after ion irradiation and UV?photolysis of icy mantles.

ABSTRACTBy directly suppressing the function of certain immune cell subsets and by stimulating other cell populations related to immunopathology, parasite-derived substances play an important role in the chronic establishment of parasitic disease. Our objective was twofold: (i) to investigate further the role of Echinococcus granulosusantigen B (AgB) in the human early inflammatory response by determining its effect on polymorphonuclear cell (PMN) random migration, chemotaxis, and oxidative metabolism and (ii) to determine its action in acquired immunity by evaluating AgB and sheep hydatid fluid (SHF)-driven Th1 (gamma interferon [IFN-γ] and interleukin 12 [IL-12]) and Th2 (IL-4 and IL-13) cytokine production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 40 patients who had cured or stable or progressive cystic echinococcosis. AgB significantly inhibited PMN recruitment but left their random migration and oxidative metabolism unchanged. Patients' PBMC stimulated with AgB produced IL-4 and IL-13 but did not produce IL-12. They also produced significantly lower IFN-γ concentrations than did PBMC stimulated with SHF (P= 10−5). AgB skewed the Th1/Th2 cytokine ratios towards a preferentially immunopathology-associated Th2 polarization, predominantly in patients with progressive disease. AgB-stimulated patients' PBMC also proliferated less than SHF-stimulated PBMC (P= 9 × 10−3). In vitro Th2 cytokine production was reflected in vivo by elevated specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) and IgG4 antibodies binding to AgB. These findings confirm that AgB plays a role in the escape from early immunity by inhibiting PMN chemotaxis. They also add new information on the host-parasite relationship, suggesting that AgB exploits the activation of T helper cells by eliciting a nonprotective Th2 cell response.

Context.Infrared observations show the presence of icy mantles along the line of sight toward young stellar objects (YSOs), where a temperature gradient is expected and indirectly observed. In this environment, icy mantles are affected by ion and UV irradiation. Laboratory experiments show that molecules are formed after irradiation of icy mixtures. However, most of the experiments done so far have been performed in the temperatures range of 10–20 K.