Survival Depth of Organics in Ices under Low-energy Electron Radiation (<=2 keV)

Details Survival Depth of Organics in Ices under Low-energy Electron Radiation (<=2 keV) Survival Depth of Organics in Ices under Low-energy Electron Radiation (<=2 keV)

Mar 2012

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2012apj...747...13b&link_type=abstract

The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 747, Issue 1, article id. 13 (2012).

Biology

Astrobiology, Astrochemistry, Dust, Extinction, Kuiper Belt: General, Planets And Satellites: Surfaces, Radiation Mechanisms: Non-Thermal

Scientific paper

Icy surfaces in our solar system are continually modified and sputtered with electrons, ions, and photons from solar wind, cosmic rays, and local magnetospheres in the cases of Jovian and Saturnian satellites. In addition to their prevalence, electrons specifically are expected to be a principal radiolytic agent on these satellites. Among energetic particles (electrons and ions), electrons penetrate by far the deepest into the ice and could cause damage to organic material of possible prebiotic and even biological importance. To determine if organic matter could survive and be detected through remote sensing or in situ explorations on these surfaces, such as water ice-rich Europa, it is important to obtain accurate data quantifying electron-induced chemistry and damage depths of organics at varying incident electron energies. Experiments reported here address the quantification issue at lower electron energies (100 eV-2 keV) through rigorous laboratory data analysis obtained using a novel methodology. A polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecule, pyrene, embedded in amorphous water ice films of controlled thicknesses served as an organic probe. UV-VIS spectroscopic measurements enabled quantitative assessment of organic matter survival depths in water ice. Eight ices of various thicknesses were studied to determine damage depths more accurately. The electron damage depths were found to be linear, approximately 110 nm keV-1, in the tested range which is noticeably higher than predictions by Monte Carlo simulations by up to 100%. We conclude that computational simulations underestimate electron damage depths in the energy region <=2 keV. If this trend holds at higher electron energies as well, present models utilizing radiation-induced organic chemistry in icy solar system bodies need to be revisited. For interstellar ices of a few micron thicknesses, we conclude that low-energy electrons generated through photoionization processes in the interstellar medium could penetrate through ice grains significantly and trigger organic reactions several hundred nanometers deep—bulk chemistry thus competing with surface chemistry of astrophysical ice grains.

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