Chemical evolution of proton irradiated frozen methane

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Abstract
The irradiation of frozen methane by fast protons converts the methane molecules to a polymerlike residue that is stable at room temperature and above. This process is accompanied by a high preferential release of H2 molecules with consequent lowering in the C:H stoichiometry. The chemical evolution of frozen methane at low T and of the new organic material at room T, is studied in this paper by quantitatively measuring the variations in the C:H ratio during 1.5 MeV proton fluence. Proton backscattering technique and 1R studies show that the ratio varies from C:H=1:4 in the originally deposited CHj to C:H - 1:0.5 after a total fluence ∼lE −17p (1.5 MeV) cm−2. The final product of the irradiation is then a carbon-like material with a little amount of methyl and methylene groups in it.

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