Cosmic radiation effects on solid methane

CHED 400

Acacia Lamb, alamb@ehc.edu, Department of Chemistry, Emory & Henry College, PO Box 143, Emory, VA 24327 and Marla H. Moore, Marla.H.Moore@nasa.gov, Astrochemistry Branch, Code 691, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771.
Methane has been detected in the comae of many comets and is assumed to be stored in comet nuclei as condensed phase methane. Evidence for methane, both as a pure terrain and within ice mixtures, also exists for Pluto and Triton. Few laboratory studies have been conducted to identify the effects of astrophysical conditions on pure methane, leaving astronomers with little data to aid in further interpretations of their observations of these objects. We use infrared spectroscopy to explore the effects of radiation processing on methane ice under the simulated conditions relevant to objects stored at the edge of the solar system. The rate of the destruction of proton-bombarded methane is calculated, and ethylene, ethane, propylene and propane are identified as products of the destruction. These data can be used to understand the stability of CH4 ice and to predict new species awaiting detection on these distant astronomical objects.
 

Undergraduate Research Poster Session: Organic Chemistry
11:15 AM-1:15 PM, Monday, 14 March 2005 Convention Center -- Hall D, Poster

Division of Chemical Education

The 229th ACS National Meeting, in San Diego, CA, March 13-17, 2005