Irradiation of nitrogen-rich ices by swift heavy ions

Augé, B.; Dartois, E.; Engrand, C.; Duprat, J.; Godard, M.; Delauche, L.; Bardin, N.; Mejía, C.; Martínez, R.; Muniz, Gabriel S. Vignoli; Domaracka, A.; Boduch, P.; Rothard, H.

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201527650

Cited by 24 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…A band at 2036 cm −1 indicates the formation of HNC. HCN and CN − are the most abundantly formed identified molecules in column density, as demonstrated by previous work (Augé et al 2016). In addition, numerous other molecules and radicals are identified.…”

Section: Nanosims Experimentssupporting

confidence: 75%

“…solid residue at room temperature. It also corresponds to a few million years of exposure in space, see Augé et al (2016) and Sect. 5 for details.…”

Section: Ice Samplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Experiments recently performed at GANIL (Caen, France) demonstrated that a N 2 -CH 4 ice mixture exposed to radiative environments such as cosmic rays produces poly-HCN-like residues (i.e. solid refractory stable material composed of H, C, and N) being possible precursors of the UCAMM N-rich, O-poor organic matter (Augé et al 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Hydrogen isotopic anomalies in extraterrestrial organic matter: role of cosmic ray irradiation and implications for UCAMMs

Augé

Dartois

Duprat

et al. 2019

A&A

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Context. Micrometeorites represent, at timescales shorter than a few million years, the dominant source of extraterrestrial matter at the surface of the Earth. Analyses of ultracarbonaceous micrometeorites recovered from Antarctica, known as UCAMMs reveal an exceptionally N-rich organic matter associated with spatially extended high D enrichments. Experiments show that this specific organic matter might have been formed in the outer solar system by energetic irradiation of N-rich icy surfaces. Aims. We experimentally investigate the hydrogen isotopic fractionation resulting from irradiation of normal and D-rich N2-CH4 ices by high energy ions, simulating the exposition to Galactic cosmic rays of icy bodies surfaces orbiting at large heliocentric distances. Methods. Films of N2-CH4 ices and a N2-CH4/CD4/N2-CH4 “sandwich” ice were exposed to 129Xe13+ ion beams at 92 and 88 MeV. The chemical evolution of the samples was monitored using in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. After irradiation, targets were annealed to room temperature. The solid residues of the whole process left after ice sublimation were characterized in situ by infrared spectroscopy, and the hydrogen isotopic composition measured ex situ by imaging secondary ion mass spectrometry at the sub-micron scale (NanoSIMS). Results. Irradiation leads to the formation of new molecules and radicals. After annealing, the resulting poly-HCN-like macro-molecular residue exhibits an infrared spectrum close to that of UCAMMs. The residue resulting from irradiation of N2-CH4 ices does not exhibit a significant deuterium enrichment comparable to that found in extraterrestrial organic matter. The residue formed by irradiation of D-rich ices shows the formation of isotopic heterogeneities with localised hotspots and an extended contribution likely due to the diffusion of the radiolytic products from the D-rich layer. Conclusions. These results show that high-energy cosmic ray irradiation does not induce the large hydrogen isotopic fractionation observed at small spatial scale in interplanetary organics. By contrast, large D/H ratio heterogeneities at the sub-micron spatial scale in extraterrestrial organic matter can result from isotopically heterogeneous ices mixtures (i.e. condensed with different D/H ratios), which were transformed into refractory organic matter upon irradiation.

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Section: Nanosims Experimentssupporting

confidence: 75%

“…solid residue at room temperature. It also corresponds to a few million years of exposure in space, see Augé et al (2016) and Sect. 5 for details.…”

Section: Ice Samplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Hydrogen isotopic anomalies in extraterrestrial organic matter: role of cosmic ray irradiation and implications for UCAMMs

Augé

Dartois

Duprat

et al. 2019

A&A

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“…This UCAMM fingerprint region profile is reminiscent of the nitrogen-rich carbonaceous network, as observed in the spectra of laboratory a-CNH analogues (e.g. Augé et al 2016;Quirico et al 2008;Lazar et al 2008;Gerakines et al 2004;Fanchini et al 2002;Rodil et al 2001;Hammer et al 2000;Ong 1996), in agreement with the higher nitrogen fraction in the organic phase of UCAMMs (Dobricǎ et al 2011;Dartois et al 2013). If the main nitrogen contribution to the UCAMMs is not the C≡N, but C=N and C-N bonds contributing to the infrared spectra at lower frequencies, what makes the C≡N feature unique is that it falls in a clean spectral region, and when measured in organic matter, it is in most cases the sign of a high nitrogen content.…”

Section: Nitrogen Contribution and The N/c Solar System Gradientmentioning

confidence: 80%

“…Undoubtedly ices, including nitrogen ices, are lost long before the atmospheric entry, in the evolving parent body, and during the journey of the dust grains toward the inner solar system. This evolution most probably helped to form their original macromolecular organic content as discussed in the UCAMMs formation scenarios (Dartois et al 2013;Augé et al 2016). The nitrogen budget of UCAMMs before atmospheric entry may be higher than measured in this study if they suffered some heating during atmospheric entry.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Dome C ultracarbonaceous Antarctic micrometeorites

Dartois

Engrand

Duprat

et al. 2018

A&A

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Context. UltraCarbonaceous Antarctic MicroMeteorites (UCAMMs) represent a small fraction of interplanetary dust particles reaching the Earth's surface and contain large amounts of an organic component not found elsewhere. They are most probably sampling a contribution from the outer regions of the solar system to the local interplanetary dust particle (IDP) flux. Aims. We characterize UCAMMs composition focusing on the organic matter, and compare the results to the insoluble organic matter (IOM) from primitive meteorites, IDPs, and the Earth. Methods. We acquired synchrotron infrared microspectroscopy (µFTIR) and µRaman spectra of eight UCAMMs from the Concordia/CSNSM collection, as well as N/C atomic ratios determined with an electron microprobe. Results. The spectra are dominated by an organic component with a low aliphatic CH versus aromatic C=C ratio, and a higher nitrogen fraction and lower oxygen fraction compared to carbonaceous chondrites and IDPs. The UCAMMs carbonyl absorption band is in agreement with a ketone or aldehyde functional group. Some of the IR and Raman spectra show a C≡N band corresponding to a nitrile. The absorption band profile from 1400 to 1100 cm −1 is compatible with the presence of C-N bondings in the carbonaceous network, and is spectrally different from that reported in meteorite IOM. We confirm that the silicate-to-carbon content in UCAMMs is well below that reported in IDPs and meteorites. Together with the high nitrogen abundance relative to carbon building the organic matter matrix, the most likely scenario for the formation of UCAMMs occurs via physicochemical mechanisms taking place in a cold nitrogen rich environment, like the surface of icy parent bodies in the outer solar system. The composition of UCAMMs provides an additional hint of the presence of a heliocentric positive gradient in the C/Si and N/C abundance ratios in the solar system protoplanetary disc evolution.

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Interplanetary Dust, Meteoroids, Meteors and Meteorites

et al. 2019

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Interplanetary dust particles and meteoroids mostly originate from comets and asteroids. Understanding their distribution in the Solar system, their dynamical behavior and their properties, sheds light on the current state and the dynamical behavior of the Solar system. Dust particles can endanger Earth-orbiting satellites and deep-space probes, and a good understanding of the spatial density and velocity distribution of dust and meteoroids in the Solar system is important for designing proper spacecraft shielding. The study of inter-Cosmic Dust from the Laboratory to the Stars Edited by

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Irradiation of nitrogen-rich ices by swift heavy ions

Cited by 24 publications

References 44 publications

Hydrogen isotopic anomalies in extraterrestrial organic matter: role of cosmic ray irradiation and implications for UCAMMs

Hydrogen isotopic anomalies in extraterrestrial organic matter: role of cosmic ray irradiation and implications for UCAMMs

Dome C ultracarbonaceous Antarctic micrometeorites

Interplanetary Dust, Meteoroids, Meteors and Meteorites

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