Amorphization and D/H fractionation of kerogens during experimental electron irradiation: Comparison with chondritic organic matter

This study represents a first step to estimate the kinetics and timescales of D/H fractionation under ionizing radiation. Extrapolatation of this fractionation behavior to natural environments remains difficult at this point because simultaneous irradiation by protons and other cosmic rays at various energies also occurs. However, the present results show that isotopic fractionation by electron irradiation at 200 kV alone might have been kinetically inhibited at the low temperatures of the interstellar medium and the outer region of the protosolar nebula. In addition, we show that STXM or NanoSIMS experiments should not be performed on organic samples that have already been investigated using TEM, even under low flux electron irradiation conditions.