Oxidant Loading of Icy Surfaces via Re-deposition of Sputtered Molecular Fragments: Laboratory Simulations (Invited)
Abstract
The formation of oxidants such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), molecular oxygen (O2) and ozone (O3) on icy satellite surfaces is widely accepted to be a result of the molecular dissociations that occurs from incident energetic radiation impacting the surface ice. New laboratory measurements show that an additional, and previously unrecognized mechanism, may contribute to the oxidant loading of the icy surfaces. This mechanism involves the re-condensation of reactive molecular fragments and subsequent reactions of these on the surface to produce oxidants. Modelling is needed to determine the amount that this process may contribute to the oxidant concentrations and the timescales involved.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2009
- Bibcode:
- 2009AGUFM.P23E..05C
- Keywords:
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- 5410 PLANETARY SCIENCES: SOLID SURFACE PLANETS / Composition;
- 5422 PLANETARY SCIENCES: SOLID SURFACE PLANETS / Ices;
- 6218 PLANETARY SCIENCES: SOLAR SYSTEM OBJECTS / Jovian satellites;
- 6280 PLANETARY SCIENCES: SOLAR SYSTEM OBJECTS / Saturnian satellites