'Most of the universe consists of hydrogen in various forms,' said Adamowicz, 'but the H3+ ion is the most prevalent molecular ion in interstellar space. The groundbreaking results have been published in a recent edition of Physical Review Letters. Lurking in the vast, chilly regions between stars, the unassuming molecule known as a triatomic hydrogen ion, or H3+, may hold secrets of the formation of the first stars after the Big Bang.Īt the University of Arizona, then doctoral candidate Michele Pavanello spent months doing painstaking calculations to find a way to spot H3+ and unveil its pivotal role in astronomy and spectroscopy, supervised by Ludwik Adamowicz, a professor in the UA's department of chemistry and biochemistry.
