Cryovacuum facilities for studying astrophysical ices

Abstract

This work introduces a cryovacuum apparatus used to investigate substances under near-space conditions. This device allows one to study the refractive index, infrared spectra, and density of substances that are condensed from the vapor phase onto a cooled substrate at temperatures ranging from 11 K to 300 K. Concurrently, the ultimate pressure of 0.1 nTorr can be obtained in the vacuum chamber. The introduced setup utilizes FTIR spectroscopy with a spectral measurement range of 400–7800 cm−1 and laser interference needed to determine the important physical and optical parameters. Several experiments allow us to stress that the data acquired using this apparatus are quite similar to those obtained by other researchers. Because of the non-directional deposition of substances from the vapor phase, the ice formed closely resembles the ice formed in space. This makes the introduced setup particularly useful. It is possible to use the presented cryovacuum apparatus to interpret data acquired in the course of astrophysical observations, allowing a researcher to determine the properties of space objects.