Electron irradiation of crystalline and amorphous D2O ice

We studied the electron irradiation of crystalline and amorphous deuterated water ices at 12 K. The experiments show that molecular deuterium (D(2)), molecular oxygen (O(2)), and Hydrogen peroxide (D(2)O(2)) were produced inside the irradiated ice samples. A quantitative comparison of crystalline and amorphous ice samples showed that the production rates of D(2), O(2) and D(2)O(2) in amorphous ices are systematically higher than those in crystalline samples. Reaction mechanisms and astrophysical implications are discussed. Published by Elsevier B.V.