Professor Coordinator - Interdisciplinary Program for Astrobiology and Astrochemistry [IPAA] Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics Division E-mail: [email protected] Telephone:
+91-79-2631-4558 (off) / 4936 (lab)
Research Interests
Experimental Astrochemistry & Astrobiology
Low temperature - [4 K - 300 K] Investigating the chemical changes induced in low temperature
astrochemical ices by electrons, VUV/UV photon, ions (single and multiple
charged),dust impacts and
High temperature - [300 K - 16000 K] shockwaves. Shock processing of biomolecules (astrobiology) and ism dust analogues (astrochemistry)
Infrared (IR) and Vacuum Ultraviolet (VUV) spectroscopy of astrochemical
ice analogs.
Astrochemical Ices Database
Link to Astrochemical ices database (VUV data uploaded - IR being uploaded)
Astrochemistry - Collaborations
Link National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Taiwan
Link Intercat - Aarhus University - Collaborators
Updates - Recent
*AIAS (Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies) Visiting Fellow: May - June 2024.
Astrobiology - Major result in Origin of life research
Complex macroscale structures observed in shock processed
Shock processing of amino acids leading to complex structures � Implications to the Origin of Life.
Surendra V S, Jayaram V, Meka J K, Vijayan S, Chandrasekaran V, Thombre R, Thiruvenkatam, Mallya A, Raja Sekhar B N, Muruganantham M, Datey A, Hill H, Bhardwaj A, Jagadeesh G, Reddy K P J, Mason N J, Sivaraman B. Molecules, 25(23), 5634, 2020.
Complex structures synthesized in shock processing of nucleobases � implications to the origins of life.
V. S. Surendra, V. Jayaram, M. Muruganantham, T. Vijay, S. Vijayan, P. Samarth, H. Hill, Anil Bhardwaj, N. J. Mason, B Sivaraman. International Journal of Astrobiology, 20(4), 285-293 (2021).
Astrochemistry - Discovery of reversible phase change in astrochemical ices
Qualitative observation of reversible phase change in astrochemical ethanethiol ices using infrared spectroscopy. S Pavithraa et al., Short Comm, Spectrochimica Acta:Part A Molecular Biomolecular Spectroscopy (2017).
Publications (*representative)
Discovery of ozone on Jupiter�s moon Callisto
Ultraviolet spectrum reveals the presence of ozone on Jupiter�s moon Callisto.
R Ramachandran, J K Meka, K K Rahul, W Khan, J I Lo, B M Cheng, D V Mifsud, B N Rajasekhar, A Das, H Hill, P Janardhan, Anil Bhardwaj, N J Mason, B Sivaraman. Icarus, 410, 115896, 2024.
(2016).
Detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on a sample of comets. V Venkataraman, Arijit Roy, R Ramachandran, H. M Quitian-Lara, H Hill, B N Rajasekhar, Anil Bhardwaj, N J Mason, B Sivaraman. J Astrophys & Astro, 4, 89, 2023.
Discovery of graphene and quantum dots in irradiated astrochemical ices
N-graphene synthesized in astrochemical ices.
B Sivaraman, KK Rahul, M Ambresh, D Sahu, JK Meka, S-L Chou, Y-J Wu, Divita Gupta, A Das, J-I Lo, B-M Cheng, BN Rajasekhar, Anil Bhardwaj, H Hill, P Janardhan, NJ Mason. The European Physical Journal D 77 (2), 24, 2023.
Links to press release and cover page
Link Astrobites - 15 Sept 2020
Link AstroPAH - March 2023 - Cover page
First experimental proof on converting a non-magnetic ism dust analogue to a magnetic ism dust analogue by shocks
Shock-induced transformation of non-magnetic to magnetic ISM dust Analogue.
Arijit Roy, Surendra V Singh, J K Meka, R Ramachandran, D Sahu, A Gautam, T Vijay, V Jayaram, P Janardhan, B N Rajasekhar, Anil Bhardwaj, N J Mason, B Sivaraman. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 517, 4, 4845�4855 December 2022.
Amorphous carbon to carbon allotropes in the ISM - The Tc-1 fullerene formation pathway (via simulating ISM shocks)
Shock processing of amorphous carbon nanodust.
Arijit Roy, V. S . Surendra, M. Ambresh, D. Sahu, J. K. Meka, R. Ramachandran, P. Samarth, S. Pavithraa, V. jayaram, H. Hill, J. Cami, B . N. Rajasekhar, P. Janardhan, Anil Bhardwaj, N. J. Mason, B. Sivaraman. Advances in Space Research, 70(8), 2571, 2022.
First VUV photoabsorption spectra of icy terpenes
Vacuum ultraviolet photoabsorption spectra of icy isoprene and its oligomers.
R. Ramachandran, S. Pavithraa, J. K. Meka, K. K. Rahul, J. �I. Lo, S. �L. Chou, B. �M. Cheng, B. N. Rajasekhar, Anil Bhardwaj, N. J. Mason, B. Sivaraman. Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biolmolecular Spectroscopy, 268, 120586, 2022.
Discovery of hydrazine on Saturn's moon Rhea -- Featured article in Phys.org
Possible detection of hydrazine on Saturn�s moon Rhea.
M Elowitz, B Sivaraman, A Hendrix, J I Lo, S l Chou, B M Cheng, B N Rajasekhar and N J Mason. Science Advances, 7, 4, eaba5749, 2021.
On the physical nature of astrochemical dust - Finding of geometrical shapes in irradiated aromatic astrochemical ices
Residue from vacuum ultraviolet irradiation of benzene ices: Insights into the physical structure of astrophysical dust
K. Rahul, E. Shivakarthik, J K Meka, A. Das, V. Chandrasekaran, B. N. Rajasekhar, J-I Lo, B-M Cheng, P. Janardhan, A. Bhardwaj, N. J. Mason, B. Sivaraman. Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biolmolecular Spectroscopy, 231, 117797, 2020. Link AstroPAH - Feb 2020 - Cover page
(More to be added soon - by 15 April 2024)
Under review / Accepted
Amorphous 1-propanol interstellar ice beyond its melting point, Ragav Ramachandran et al., MNRAS (2024). In collaboration with Prof Prabal Maiti, IISc.
Other articles
Pluto analogs - Colder and closer, I Varatharajan and B Sivaraman, Astrochemistry Letters, 9 (1) 2015.
Astrochemistry on Icy Mantles, Planex Newsletter, 3, 4, Oct (2013) 15.
Meteorite or Meteorwrong, Scientific Correspondence, B Sivaraman et al., Current Science,103, 12 (2012) 1404
Collaborations
Prof N. J. Mason, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Kent, UK.
Dr Y -J Wu, National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Taiwan.
Prof Liv, Intercat, Aarhus University
Dr Sergio Ioppolo, Intercat, Aarhus University
Dr. B. N. Raja Sekhar, Indus-1 Synchrotron, RRCAT, India.
Prof. Sylwia Ptasinska, Radiation Research Laboratory, University of Notredame, USA.
Prof. H Hill, International Space University, France.
- VUV spectroscopy of astrochemical ice analogs are carried out in synchrotron facilities at NSRRC, Taiwan and at ISA, Aarhus, Denmark.
Other
*Visiting Lecturer, International Space University, France.
