Diffusion and Clustering of Carbon Dioxide on non-porous Amorphous Solid Water

TL;DR

This study investigates how CO$_2$ diffuses and segregates on non-porous amorphous solid water surfaces, providing quantitative insights into the energy barriers and interactions relevant to astrophysical ice mantles.

Contribution

It quantifies the diffusion energy barrier of CO$_2$ on np-ASW and compares CO$_2$ and CO interactions, advancing understanding of ice segregation in space environments.

Findings

CO$_2$ diffuses significantly above 65 K

Diffusion energy barrier of CO$_2$ is 2150±50 K

CO$_2$ interacts more strongly with itself than with water

Abstract

Observations by ISO and Spitzer towards young stellar objects (YSOs) showed that CO$_2$ segregates in the icy mantles covering dust grains. Thermal processing of ice mixture was proposed as responsible for the segregation. Although several laboratory studied thermally induced segregation, a satisfying quantification is still missing. We propose that the diffusion of CO$_2$ along pores inside water ice is the key to quantify segregation. We combined Temperature Programmed Desorption (TPD) and Reflection Absorption InfraRed Spectroscopy (RAIRS) to study how CO$_2$ molecules interact on a non-porous amorphous solid water (np-ASW) surface. We found that CO$_2$ diffuses significantly on a np-ASW surface above 65~K and clusters are formed at well below one monolayer. A simple rate equation simulation finds that the diffusion energy barrier of CO$_2$ on np-ASW is 2150$\pm$50 K, assuming a diffusion pre-exponential factor of 10$^{12}$ s$^{-1}$. This energy should also apply to the diffusion of CO$_2$ on wall of pores. The binding energy of CO$_2$ from CO$_2$ clusters and CO$_2$ from H$_2$O ice have been found to be $2415\pm20$ and $2250\pm20$~K, respectively, assuming the same prefactor for desorption. CO$_2$-CO$_2$ interaction is stronger than CO$_2$-H$_2$O interaction, in agreement with the experimental finding that CO$_2$ does not wet np-ASW surface. For comparison, we carried out similar experiments with CO on np-ASW, and found that the CO-CO interaction is always weaker than CO-H$_2$O. As a result, CO wets np-ASW surface. This study should be of help to uncover the thermal history of CO$_2$ on the icy mantles of dust grains.