Dust evolution, a global view: I. Nano-particles, nascence, nitrogen and natural selection . . . joining the dots

Abstract

The role and importance of nano-particles for interstellar chemistry and beyond is explored within the framework of The Heterogeneous dust Evolution Model at the IaS (THEMIS), focussing on their active surface chemistry (nascence), the effects of nitrogen doping and the natural selection of interesting nano-particle sub-structures. Nano-particle driven chemistry, and in particular the role of intrinsic epoxide-type structures could provide a viable route to the observed gas phase OH in tenuous interstellar clouds en route to becoming molecular clouds. The aromatic-rich moieties present in asphaltenes likely provide a viable model for the structures present within aromatic-rich interstellar carbonaceous grains. The observed doping of such nano-particle structures with nitrogen, if also prevalent in interstellar dust, is likely to have important and observable consequences for surface chemistry and the formation of pre-cursor pre-biotic species.