Explosive desorption of icygrain mantles in dense clouds.
Abstract
The cycling of the condensible material in dense clouds between the gas phase and the icy grain mantles is investigated. In the model studied, desorption of the ice occurs due to grain mantle explosions when photochemically stored energy is released after transient heating by a cosmic ray particle. It is shown that, depending on the grain size distribution in dense clouds, explosive desorption can maintain up to about eight percent of the carbon in the form of CO in the gas phase at typical cloud densities.
- Publication:
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- April 1991
- Bibcode:
- 1991A&A...244..190S
- Keywords:
-
- Abundance;
- Cosmic Dust;
- Desorption;
- Ice;
- Interstellar Matter;
- Molecular Clouds;
- Absorption Spectra;
- Astronomical Models;
- Explosions;
- Particle Size Distribution;
- Ultraviolet Radiation;
- Astrophysics