The Photolysis of Aromatic Hydrocarbons Adsorbed on the Surfaces of
  Cosmic Dust Grains
  The work is devoted to the adaptation of the results of laboratory studies of
the laser-induced dissociation of molecules of benzene adsorbed on a quartz
substrate to the conditions of the interstellar medium. Adsorption was
performed under conditions of low temperature and deep vacuum. The difference
between the photolysis of adsorbed molecules and molecules in the gas phase is
identified. Significance of process of photolytic desorption in the
interstellar conditions is analyzed, in particular, in the conditions of
photodissociation regions. It is shown that the efficiency and dissociation
channels of photolysis of adsorbed and gas phase benzene differ substantially.
It is concluded that the photolysis of aromatic hydrocarbons adsorbed on the
interstellar dust grains contributes a negligible fraction to the abundance of
small hydrocarbons in the interstellar medium.
