Icy surfaces of both interstellar grains and objects in the outer Solar System consist not just of frozen H2O, but also hydrocarbons, carbon oxides, and solid N2.  Our research group recently has initiated a laboratory program to systematically measure IR spectra, optical constants (n, k), absorption coefficients, and absolute band strengths for amorphous and crystalline phases of such molecules in various ices below about 70 K.  Here we describe our methods and report new measurements on methane (CH4) and acetylene (C-2H2) ices at temperatures applicable to the interstellar medium and the outer Solar System.  Comparisons will be made to earlier work and several surprises will be presented.  Electronic versions of the data will be made available as will a computer routine to use our new n and k values to simulate the observed laboratory IR spectra.  This work is funded by NASA's Outer Planets Research program.

Quantifying IR spectral measurements of icy solids of the ISM and the outer solar system: A new spectral database

247th National Meeting (2014)

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