Radiation-Induced Amorphization of Crystalline Ice

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics

Scientific paper

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Scientific paper

Crystalline ice has been unambiguously identified on the surface of most of the Jovian, Saturnian and Uranian satellites, and on the surface of some trans-Neptunian objects such as Quaoar, and 2003 EL61. This result is surprising, as the low surface temperatures of these objects should cause the ice condensed on them to be amorphous. Moreover, the surface of these bodies is constantly exposed to UV photons, solar wind, cosmic rays or energetic charged particles trapped by the planetary magnetic fields, which are known to amorphize crystalline ice.
Here, we review 30 years of experimental studies of radiation-induced amorphization of crystalline ice analyzing the differences found between light and heavy ions, electrons and photons. We also present high quality near-infrared absorption spectra for amorphous and crystalline ice before and after we irradiated them with 225 keV protons. After irradiation at 80 K, the crystalline ice spectrum is altered so that it is indistinguishable from the spectrum of amorphous ice, indicating that irradiation can fully amorphize crystalline ice. We will compare these results with previous studies and discuss the astrophysical implication for planetary bodies.

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