Systematic investigation of CO2 : NH3 ice mixtures using mid-IR and VUV spectroscopy – part 2: electron irradiation and thermal processing

Abstract

Many experimental parameters determine the chemical and physical properties of interstellar ice analogues, each of which may influence the molecular synthesis that occurs in such ices. In part 1, James et al., RSC Adv., 2020, 10, 37517, we demonstrated the effects that the stoichiometric mixing ratio had on the chemical and physical properties of CO₂ : NH₃ mixtures and the impact on molecular synthesis induced by thermal processing. Here, in part 2, we extend this to include 1 keV electron irradiation at 20 K of several stoichiometric mixing ratios of CO₂ : NH₃ ices followed by thermal processing. We demonstrate that not all stoichiometric mixing ratios of CO₂ : NH₃ ice form the same products. Not only did the 4 : 1 ratio form a different residue after thermal processing, but O₃ was observed after electron irradiation at 20 K, which was not observed in the other ratios. For the other ratios, the residue formed from a thermal reaction similar to the work shown in Part 1. However, conversion of ammonium carbamate to carbamic acid was hindered due to electron irradiation at 20 K. Our results demonstrate the need to systematically investigate stoichiometric mixing ratios to better characterise the chemical and physical properties of interstellar ice analogues to further our understanding of the routes of molecular synthesis under different astrochemical conditions.