Thermal regeneration of sulfuric acid hydrates after irradiation

Mark J. Loeffler; Reggie L. Hudson

doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2012.03.023

Thermal regeneration of sulfuric acid hydrates after irradiation

Mark J. Loeffler, Reggie L. Hudson

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

In an attempt to more completely understand the surface chemistry of the jovian icy satellites, we have investigated the effect of heating on two irradiated crystalline sulfuric acid hydrates, H ₂SO ₄·4H ₂O and H ₂SO ₄·H ₂O. At temperatures relevant to Europa and the warmer jovian satellites, post-irradiation heating recrystallized the amorphized samples and increased the intensities of the remaining hydrate's infrared absorptions. This thermal regeneration of the original hydrates was nearly 100% efficient, indicating that over geological times, thermally-induced phase transitions enhanced by temperature fluctuations will reform a large fraction of crystalline hydrated sulfuric acid that is destroyed by radiation processing. The work described is the first demonstration of the competition between radiation-induced amorphization and thermally-induced recrystallization in icy ionic solids relevant to the outer Solar System.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	561-566
Number of pages	6
Journal	Icarus
Volume	219
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2012.03.023
State	Published - Jun 2012
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Cosmic rays
Europa
Ices, IR spectroscopy
Impact processes
Jupiter, Satellites

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1016/j.icarus.2012.03.023

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title = "Thermal regeneration of sulfuric acid hydrates after irradiation",

abstract = "In an attempt to more completely understand the surface chemistry of the jovian icy satellites, we have investigated the effect of heating on two irradiated crystalline sulfuric acid hydrates, H 2SO 4·4H 2O and H 2SO 4·H 2O. At temperatures relevant to Europa and the warmer jovian satellites, post-irradiation heating recrystallized the amorphized samples and increased the intensities of the remaining hydrate's infrared absorptions. This thermal regeneration of the original hydrates was nearly 100% efficient, indicating that over geological times, thermally-induced phase transitions enhanced by temperature fluctuations will reform a large fraction of crystalline hydrated sulfuric acid that is destroyed by radiation processing. The work described is the first demonstration of the competition between radiation-induced amorphization and thermally-induced recrystallization in icy ionic solids relevant to the outer Solar System.",

keywords = "Cosmic rays, Europa, Ices, IR spectroscopy, Impact processes, Jupiter, Satellites",

author = "Loeffler, {Mark J.} and Hudson, {Reggie L.}",

note = "Funding Information: The support of NASA{\textquoteright}s Planetary Geology and Geophysics program is gratefully acknowledged. RLH also acknowledges support from the NASA Astrobiology Institute through the Goddard Center for Astrobiology. In addition, we thank Steve Brown, Tom Ward, and Eugene Gerashchenko, members of the Radiation Laboratory at NASA Goddard, for operation of the proton accelerator.",

year = "2012",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1016/j.icarus.2012.03.023",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "219",

pages = "561--566",

journal = "Icarus",

issn = "0019-1035",

publisher = "Academic Press Inc.",

number = "2",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Thermal regeneration of sulfuric acid hydrates after irradiation

AU - Loeffler, Mark J.

AU - Hudson, Reggie L.

N1 - Funding Information: The support of NASA’s Planetary Geology and Geophysics program is gratefully acknowledged. RLH also acknowledges support from the NASA Astrobiology Institute through the Goddard Center for Astrobiology. In addition, we thank Steve Brown, Tom Ward, and Eugene Gerashchenko, members of the Radiation Laboratory at NASA Goddard, for operation of the proton accelerator.

PY - 2012/6

Y1 - 2012/6

N2 - In an attempt to more completely understand the surface chemistry of the jovian icy satellites, we have investigated the effect of heating on two irradiated crystalline sulfuric acid hydrates, H 2SO 4·4H 2O and H 2SO 4·H 2O. At temperatures relevant to Europa and the warmer jovian satellites, post-irradiation heating recrystallized the amorphized samples and increased the intensities of the remaining hydrate's infrared absorptions. This thermal regeneration of the original hydrates was nearly 100% efficient, indicating that over geological times, thermally-induced phase transitions enhanced by temperature fluctuations will reform a large fraction of crystalline hydrated sulfuric acid that is destroyed by radiation processing. The work described is the first demonstration of the competition between radiation-induced amorphization and thermally-induced recrystallization in icy ionic solids relevant to the outer Solar System.

AB - In an attempt to more completely understand the surface chemistry of the jovian icy satellites, we have investigated the effect of heating on two irradiated crystalline sulfuric acid hydrates, H 2SO 4·4H 2O and H 2SO 4·H 2O. At temperatures relevant to Europa and the warmer jovian satellites, post-irradiation heating recrystallized the amorphized samples and increased the intensities of the remaining hydrate's infrared absorptions. This thermal regeneration of the original hydrates was nearly 100% efficient, indicating that over geological times, thermally-induced phase transitions enhanced by temperature fluctuations will reform a large fraction of crystalline hydrated sulfuric acid that is destroyed by radiation processing. The work described is the first demonstration of the competition between radiation-induced amorphization and thermally-induced recrystallization in icy ionic solids relevant to the outer Solar System.

KW - Cosmic rays

KW - Europa

KW - Ices, IR spectroscopy

KW - Impact processes

KW - Jupiter, Satellites

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U2 - 10.1016/j.icarus.2012.03.023

DO - 10.1016/j.icarus.2012.03.023

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84860296178

SN - 0019-1035

VL - 219

SP - 561

EP - 566

JO - Icarus

JF - Icarus

IS - 2

ER -

Thermal regeneration of sulfuric acid hydrates after irradiation

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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