Radiolysis of H2O:CO2 ices by heavy energetic cosmic ray analogs

TL;DR

This study investigates how heavy cosmic ray analogs interact with astrophysical ices like H2O and CO2, revealing dissociation cross sections, sputtering yields, and chemical stability under cosmic ray irradiation.

Contribution

It provides experimental data on the radiolysis of H2O and CO2 ices by heavy ions, simulating cosmic ray effects in astrophysical environments for the first time.

Findings

Dissociation cross sections for pure H2O and CO2 are 1.1 and 1.9E-13 cm^2.

Sputtering yield of pure CO2 ice is 2.2E4 molecules per ion.

CO and H2O2 ratios stabilize after certain fluences, regardless of initial composition.

Abstract

An experimental study on the interaction of heavy, highly charged, and energetic ions (52 MeV Ni^13+) with pure H2O, pure CO2 and mixed H2O:CO2 astrophysical ice analogs is presented. This analysis aims to simulate the chemical and the physicochemical interactions induced by heavy cosmic rays inside dense and cold astrophysical environments such as molecular clouds or protostellar clouds. The measurements were performed at the heavy ion accelerator GANIL (Grand Accelerateur National d'Ions Lourds in Caen, France). The gas samples were deposited onto a CsI substrate at 13 K. In-situ analysis was performed by a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer at different fluences. Radiolysis yields of the produced species were quantified. The dissociation cross sections of pure H2O and CO2 ices are 1.1 and 1.9E-13 cm^2, respectively. In the case of mixed H2O:CO2 (10:1) the dissociation cross sections of both species are about 1E-13 cm^2. The measured sputtering yield of pure CO2 ice is 2.2E4 molec/ion. After a fluence of 2-3E12 ions/cm^2 the CO2/CO ratio becomes roughly constant (~0.1), independent of the of initial CO2/H2O ratio. A similar behavior is observed for the H2O2/H2O ratio which stabilizes at 0.01, independent of the initial H2O column density or relative abundance.