Newly published data hopes to boost space research, help astronomers to better understand our galaxy and to model how new stars and planets form.

The data provides astronomers with the information they need to understand how interstellar ice evaporates and re-condenses during the formation of stars and planets.

Through 20 years of laboratory data collection, nineteen scientists from around the world coordinated the collation of information and helped interpret the findings.

As well as the focus on interstellar ice evaporation, the space research also considers the formation of snowlines where specific substances condense.

Professor Martin McCoustra, an astrochemist at Heriot-Watt University, was one of the scientists who helped produce the consensus.

For over 15 years, he has been carrying out space research, working to recreate deep space in his Edinburgh laboratory, using ultrahigh vacuum technology to mimic space conditions and examine the chemistry behind how stars and planets are created.

Commenting on the data, McCoustra said: “The astronomy community can now find all the data relating to thermal desorption in one place, thanks to the group effort behind this data compilation. We’ve also highlighted the limitations of the data to ensure it is used appropriately in models and to encourage other scientists to explore ice desorption processes.

“Our data sets values for the two parameters used to describe how quickly molecules desorb from dust grain surfaces. First, the activation energy for desorption, which tells us how strongly a chemical substance is held on a surface.

“Second, the frequency factor tells us how fast desorption would occur if there was no activation energy required.”

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He added: “In space, we see snow lines just like those on hills and mountains on Earth. These tell us where specific compounds like water, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide freeze on the space dust that surrounds young stars.

“Astronomers want to understand where these lines are and why. To do that, we need to understand how the molecules desorb when the grains are heated up.

“This will help them better understand why different types of planet form, from wet, rocky ones like Earth to a gas giant like Jupiter, and where.”

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