The formation of water molecules from the reaction between ozone (O 3 ) and D-atoms is studied experimentally for the first time. Ozone is deposited on nonporous amorphous solid water ice (H 2 O), and D-atoms are then sent onto the sample held at 10 K. HDO molecules are detected during the desorption of the whole substrate where isotope mixing takes place, indicating that water synthesis has occurred. The efficiency of water formation via hydrogenation of ozone is of the same order of magnitude of that found for reactions involving O atoms or O 2 molecules and exhibits no apparent activation barrier. These experiments validate the assumption made by models using ozone as one of the precursors of water formation via solid-state chemistry on interstellar dust grains.

The most efficient mechanism of the formation of molecular hydrogen in the current universe is by association of hydrogen atoms on the surface of interstellar dust grains. The details of the processes of its formation and release from the grain are of great importance in the physical and chemical evolution of the space environments where it takes place. The main puzzle is still the fate of the 4.5 eV released in H 2 formation and whether it goes into internal energy (rovibrational excitation), translational kinetic energy, or heating of the grain. The modality of the release of this energy affects the dynamics of the ISM and its evolution toward star formation. We present results of the detection of the rovibrational states of the just-formed H 2 as it leaves the surface of a silicate. We find that rovibrationally excited molecules are ejected into the gas phase immediately after formation over a much wider range of grain temperatures than anticipated. Our results can be explained by the presence of two mechanisms of molecule formation that operate in partially overlapping ranges of grain temperature. A preliminary analysis of the relative importance of these two mechanisms is given. These unexpected findings, which will be complemented with experiments on the influence of factors such as silicate morphology, should be of great interest to the astrophysics and astrochemistry communities.