Ices are sources of organic matter in various astrophysical environments, but the impact of their composition on the formation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) remains underexplored. Here, the authors use gas chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (GC-Orbitrap-MS) to show that ice photo-processing and thermal evolution are directly correlated to VOC formation during the warming of different H2O:CH3OH:NH3 ices and highlight the role of NH3 in driving the formation of nitrogen refractory compounds.
- Thomas Javelle
- Fabrice Duvernay
- Grégoire Danger
