TITLE:
Experimental and Theoretical Study on the Ethane and Acetylene Formation from Electron Irradiation of Methane Ices
AUTHORS:
Marianna Barberio, Roberta Vasta, Pasquale Barone, Giulio Manicò, Fang Xu
KEYWORDS:
Solid Ices; Ethane Formation; Acetylene Formation; Electron Irradiation
JOURNAL NAME:
World Journal of Condensed Matter Physics,
Vol.3 No.1,
February
27,
2013
ABSTRACT:
In this work we present an experimental and theoretical study on the formation of ethane and acetylene from solid methane condensed at 20 K and irradiated with a 500 - 3000 eV electron beam. The experiments were monitored with Thermal Desorption Spectroscopy. We observe that the electron irradiation induced a dehydrogenation of methane and a consequent formation of CHx (x = 1, 2, 3) fragments. Furthermore, in the solid during irradiation, a simple recombinetion reaction in the solid between two adjacent CHx molecules may form HC≡CH, H2C=CH2, and H3C-CH3 with a triple, double, and single carbon-carbon bond, respectively. The formed amount of ethane and acetylene increases with irradiation time and reaches a saturation value.