CHEMICAL PROCESSING OF PURE AMMONIA AND AMMONIA-WATER ICES INDUCED BY HEAVY IONS

Cosmic rays are possibly the main agents to prevent the freeze-out of molecules onto grain surfaces in cold dense clouds. Ammonia (NH3) is one of the most abundant molecules present in dust ice mantles, with a concentration of up to 15% relative to water (H2O). FTIR spectroscopy is used to monitor pure NH3 and NH3-H2 Oi ce samples as they are irradiated with Ni and Zn ion beams (500-600 MeV) at GANIL/France. New species, such as hydrazine (N2H4), diazene (N2H2 isomers), molecular hydrogen (H2), and nitrogen (N2) were identified after irradiation of pure NH3 ices. Nitrous oxide (N2O), nitrogen oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and hydroxylamine (NH2OH) are some of the products of the NH3-H2O ice radiolysis. The spectral band at 6.85 μm was observed after irradiation of both types of ice. Besides the likely contribution of ammonium (NH + ) and amino (NH2) radicals, data suggest a small contribution of NH2OH to this band profile after high fluences of irradiation of NH3-H2O ices. The spectral shift of the NH3 "umbrella" mode (9.3 μm) band is parameterized as a function of NH3/H2O ratio in amorphous ices. Ammonia and water destruction cross-sections are obtained, as well as the rate of NH3-H2O (1:10) ice compaction, measured by the OH dangling bond destruction cross-section. Ammonia destruction is enhanced in the presence of H2O in the ice and a power law relationship between stopping power and NH3 destruction cross-section is verified. Such results may provide relevant information for the evolution of molecular species in dense molecular clouds.