Non-Targeted Screening for Laboratory Planetary Chemistry and Astrochemistry

A new facility, KEEPS (Kent Early Earth and Planetary System), is being built that provides the ability to control, measure and analyse, representative conditions experienced in early Earth, planetary, exoplanetary and ISM conditions to produce emergent complex molecule mixtures.

The purpose of this research project is to develop orthogonal chromatographic methods with subsequent mass spectrometric data analysis to enable non-targeted analysis of the products of simulations of such conditions. In particular we wish to develop HPLC methods coupled to HRMS (High Resolution Mass Spec) to detect with high sensitivity the products of irradiated astrochemical ices and reactions on mineral surfaces.

For more information please contact Prof. Nigel Mason.