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VUV Photoabsorption of Thermally Processed Carbon Disulfide and Ammonia Ice Mixtures - Implications for Icy Objects in the Solar System

Pavithraa, S., Ramachandran, R., Mifsud, D.V., Meka, J.K., Lo, J.I., Chou, S.L., Cheng, B.-M., Rajasekhar, B.N., Bhardwaj, Anil, Mason, N.J., and others. (2022) VUV Photoabsorption of Thermally Processed Carbon Disulfide and Ammonia Ice Mixtures - Implications for Icy Objects in the Solar System. Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy, 283 . Article Number 121645. ISSN 1386-1425. E-ISSN 1873-3557. (doi:10.1016/j.saa.2022.121645) (KAR id:97192)

Abstract

Many icy bodies in the solar system have been found to contain a rich mixture of simple molecules on their surfaces. Similarly, comets are now known to be a reservoir of molecules ranging from water to amides. The processing of planetary/cometary ices leads to the synthesis of more complex molecules some of which may be the harbingers of life. Carbon disulphide (CS2) and ammonia (NH3) are known to be present on many icy satellites and comets. Reactions involving CS2 and NH3 may lead to the formation of larger molecules that are stable under space conditions. In this paper we present temperature dependent VUV spectra of pure CS2 in the ice phase, and of CS2 and NH3 ices deposited as (i) layered, and (ii) mixed ices at 10 K and warmed to higher temperatures until their sublimation. Pure CS2 ice is found to have a broad absorption in the VUV region, which is unique for a small molecule in the ice phase. In layered and mixed ices, the molecules tend to affect the phase change and sublimation temperature of each other and also leave behind a form of CS2−NH3 complex after thermal annealing. This study of CS2-NH3 ice systems in layered and mixed configurations would support the detection of these species/complexes in mixed molecular ices analogous to that on planetary and cometary surfaces.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1016/j.saa.2022.121645
Uncontrolled keywords: Astrochemistry; Planetary surface chemistry; Vacuum ultraviolet; Spectroscopy; Ice mixture; Thermal processing
Subjects: Q Science > QD Chemistry > QD478 Solid State Chemistry
Q Science > QB Astronomy > QB460 Astrophysics
Q Science > QB Astronomy > QB651 Planets, Minor
Q Science > QD Chemistry > QD473 Physical properties in relation to structure
Q Science > QD Chemistry > Analytical Chemistry
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Natural Sciences > Physics and Astronomy
Funders: University of Kent (https://ror.org/00xkeyj56)
Depositing User: Duncan Mifsud
Date Deposited: 29 Sep 2022 11:48 UTC
Last Modified: 21 Jul 2023 23:00 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/97192 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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