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Stability of CH3NCO in astronomical ices under energetic processing. A laboratory study
B Maté1, G Molpeceres1, I Tanarro1
1Instituto de Estructura de la Materia (IEM-CSIC), Serrano 121-123, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
The Astrophysical Journal
|September 7, 2018
Summary
Methyl isocyanate (CH3NCO) destruction was studied in ice. Water ice protects CH3NCO from UV radiation but offers less protection from cosmic rays, impacting its survival in space.
Area of Science:
- Astrochemistry
- Chemical Physics
- Planetary Science
Background:
- Methyl isocyanate (CH3NCO) has been detected in interstellar environments like hot cores and comets.
- Understanding CH3NCO's formation and destruction pathways is crucial for astrochemical network models.
- Previous data on CH3NCO stability in astrophysical ices was limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the destruction mechanisms of methyl isocyanate (CH3NCO) in astrophysical ice analogs.
- To determine the protective effects of water ice on CH3NCO against UV photons and cosmic rays.
- To provide data for astrochemical models regarding CH3NCO stability and survival in space.
Main Methods:
- Deposition of pure CH3NCO ices and CH3NCO/H2O mixtures at 20 K.
- Irradiation using a UV D2 lamp (120-400 nm) and bombardment with 5 keV electrons.
- Analysis of ice composition and CH3NCO destruction using infrared (IR) spectroscopy.
Main Results:
- UV and electron processing of CH3NCO ices produced similar destruction products, including CO, CO2, OCN-, and HCN/CN-.
- Water ice significantly shields CH3NCO from UV radiation (half-life dose ~ 64 eV molecule-1) but offers less protection against high-energy electrons (half-life dose ~ 18 eV molecule-1).
- CH3NCO does not react with H2O between 20-200 K, indicating thermal stability in mixtures.
Conclusions:
- CH3NCO is expected to be stable against UV photons and relatively stable against cosmic rays in dense cloud ices over long timescales.
- Sublimation is likely in hot core environments.
- Survival on surfaces of Kuiper Belt Objects is unlikely, but subsurface ice (10 micrometers) could preserve CH3NCO for ~10^9 years.
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