Gas-phase chemistry of C 3 H 3+: a key building block for carbon mass growth in space
Researchers used tunable vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization and controlled ion-molecule reactions to study C3H+3 isomers, specifically the linear and cyclic forms. The study found that the stable cyclic isomer is largely unreactive, while the linear isomer drives efficient chemistry leading to larger hydrocarbon ions, including C6H5+, providing crucial constraints for astrochemical models of carbon growth.