Interstellar ion spectroscopy

This project will i) reveal the complex physical and chemical nature of charged metal carbides; ii) attempt to identify the molecular species responsible for optical absorption bands observed throughout most of the lines of sight towards astronomical objects. The instrument developed, combining state-of-the-art ion mobility and mass spectrometry with laser spectroscopy on cryogenically cooled trapped ions, will offer capabilities beyond state-of-the-art ion spectroscopy.