Chemical reactions initiated by ionizing Radiation

Conventional wisdom has it that the chemical changes caused by ionizing radiation are due to the formation of radicals and their subsequent (re-)combination. This is especially true in the field of Astrochemistry, where ionizing radiation is the primary driver for chemical conversion. There are, however, problems with this theory. I will, in this talk, briefly explain the ways that ionizing radiation can interact with matter, before giving an overview of the (sometimes surprisingly specific) kinds of chemical reactions that follow.

Jan Hendrik Bredehöft is a physical chemist with an interest in the prebiotic evolution of biomolecules and the eventual emergence of life. In 2017 he received his Habilitation from the University of Bremen, where he heads the Astrochemistry group, studying the interaction of (secondary) electrons with condensed matter.