and CO -water Ices by X-radiation
Photochemical Processing of CO and CO -water Ices by X-radiation
B. L. Lutz, T. R. Dillingham, D. M. Cornelison, W. R. Ruppart, S. C. Tegler (NAU Physics and Astronomy)
Chemical changes that occur during the photoprocessing of cosmically
abundant ices have important implications in atmospheric physics and
planetary astronomy. In this paper, we present results of a study of
CO and CO -water ices to investigate the chemical changes
that are induced by X-radiation. The CO and CO -water ices
were formed at liquid nitrogen temperature in an ultra high vacuum
environment and continuously bombarded with high intensity K 
radiation for up to ten hours in the analysis chamber of an X-ray
photoelectron spectrometer (XPS). Significant changes in the core level
line shapes associated with these ices were found in the X-ray
photoelectron spectra recorded during the processing. A quadrupole mass
spectrometer was used to monitor the species evolving from the surface
during the processing, and the results were correlated with XPS results.
Possible mechanisms associated with the photochemical processing are
discussed.
This research was supported in part by the NAU Organized Research
Program and the NASA Origins of Solar System Program.