Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
1782426 Planetary and Space Science 2009 9 Pages PDF
Abstract

Molecular composition of comets, planets and satellites surfaces is known to change radically after suffering impacts. New possibilities concerning the presence of volatile molecules in icy surfaces involving retaining processes are studied in this paper. To fulfill this aim we have carried out desorption experiments under high vacuum conditions based on a quadrupole mass spectrometer and a quartz crystal microbalance. From our results, the presence of certain volatiles in some frozen scenarios could be explained by several retaining mechanisms related to the structure of CO2 even when, after impact, temperatures above their characteristic sublimation ones are reached.

Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Earth and Planetary Sciences Geophysics
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