Adsorption of xenon ions onto defects in organic surfaces: Implications for the origin and the nature of organics in primitive meteorites

Marrocchi, Yves; Marty, Bernard; Reinhardt, Peter; Robert, François

doi:10.1016/j.gca.2011.07.048

Cited by 35 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…We have investigated the interaction between this haze and noble gases photoionized by the UV light from the younger Sun. Laboratory experiments have shown indeed that ionized xenon trapping into organics (1) is more efficient that other ionized noble gases trapping and (2) results in a significant enrichment of heavy xenon isotopes relative to the light ones (e.g., Frick et al, 1979;Marrocchi et al, 2011). We find moreover preferential photoionization of xenon that peaks at an altitude range comparable to that of the organic haze formation, in contrast to other noble gases.…”

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confidence: 48%

Coupled noble gas–hydrocarbon evolution of the early Earth atmosphere upon solar UV irradiation

Hébrard

Marty

2014

Earth and Planetary Science Letters

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Using a new photochemical model of the Earth's early atmosphere, the relationship between noble gas photoionization and organic photochemistry has been investigated from the Archean eon to the present day. We have found that the enhanced UV emission of the young Sun triggered a peculiar atmospheric chemistry in a CH 4 -rich early atmosphere that resulted in the increased formation of an organic haze, similar to the preliminary results of a previous study (Ribas et al., 2010). We have investigated the interaction between this haze and noble gases photoionized by the UV light from the younger Sun. Laboratory experiments have shown indeed that ionized xenon trapping into organics (1) is more efficient that other ionized noble gases trapping and (2) results in a significant enrichment of heavy xenon isotopes relative to the light ones (e.g., Frick et al., 1979;Marrocchi et al., 2011). We find moreover preferential photoionization of xenon that peaks at an altitude range comparable to that of the organic haze formation, in contrast to other noble gases. Trapping and fractioning of ionized xenon in the organic haze could therefore have been far more efficient than for other noble gases, and could have been particularly effective throughout the Archean eon, since the UV irradiation flux from the young Sun was expected to be substantially higher than today (Ribas et al., 2010;Claire et al., 2012). Thus we suspect that the unique isotopic fractionation of atmospheric xenon and its elemental depletion in the atmosphere relative to other noble gases, compared to potential cosmochemical components, could have resulted from a preferential incorporation of the heaviest xenon isotopes into organics. A fraction of atmospheric xenon could have been continuously trapped in the forming haze and enriched in its heavy isotopes, while another fraction would have escaped from the atmosphere to space, with, or without isotope selection of the lightest isotopes. The combination of these two processes over long periods of time provides thereby a key process for explaining the evolution of its isotopic composition in the atmosphere over time that has been observed in Archean archives (Pujol et al., 2011).

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confidence: 48%

Coupled noble gas–hydrocarbon evolution of the early Earth atmosphere upon solar UV irradiation

Hébrard

Marty

2014

Earth and Planetary Science Letters

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“…2.11). Marrocchi et al (2011) proposed that adsorption of xenon ions produced in a radio-frequency plasma is a mechanism able to explain the peculiar xenon isotopic composition of phase Q. Similar experiments with neutral atoms were not capable of producing such isotopic fractionations.…”

Section: Figure 210mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Adsorption is also a process that reproduces the elemental composition of noble gases in phase Q. Marrocchi et al (2011) propose that UV radiation, produced by either nearby stars or by the young sun are able to ionise xenon, resulting in a fractionated isotopic composition after trapping on the surface of growing organic grains. i Xe refers to the isotope i (124, 126 …).…”

Section: Figure 210mentioning

confidence: 99%

Noble gas constraints on the origin and evolution of Earth’s volatiles

Moreira¹

2013

GeochemPersp

115

164

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“…Compared with chondritic composition of volatile elements, neutral xenon inventory in Earth's bulk mantle is 10-fold depleted [11]. At the same time, compared with the SW-Xe, the atmospheric Xe is at 3%-4% u -1 level enrichment for heavy isotopes, which suggests the influence of ionization processes [12], that is to say, with the lowest ionization potential among noble gases, xenon is most susceptible to UV photoionization and likely a subject to further fractionation and removal via the magnetic field of the early Sun [13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Accurate Xe Isotope Measurement Using JPL Ion Trap

Madzunkov

Nikolić

2014

J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom.

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We report an approach for the reproducible and accurate compositional analysis of different mixtures of Xe isotopes using miniature Jet Propulsion Laboratory Quadrupole Ion Trap (JPL-QIT). A major study objective was to validate the recent instrumental improvements to the long-term operational stability under different pressures, temperatures, and trapping conditions. We propose that the present device can be used in certification of trace amounts of isotopes in mixtures dominated by one or more isotopes. Measured isotopic compositions are verified against commercially available standards with accuracy better than 0.07%. To aid the analysis of experimental data, we developed a scalable replica fitting method and use peak areas as descriptors of relative isotopic abundances. This low-power and low-mass device is ideally suited for planetary explorations aimed to enhance quantitative analysis for major isotopes present in small amounts of atmospheric samples.

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Adsorption of xenon ions onto defects in organic surfaces: Implications for the origin and the nature of organics in primitive meteorites

Cited by 35 publications

References 61 publications

Coupled noble gas–hydrocarbon evolution of the early Earth atmosphere upon solar UV irradiation

Coupled noble gas–hydrocarbon evolution of the early Earth atmosphere upon solar UV irradiation

Noble gas constraints on the origin and evolution of Earth’s volatiles

Accurate Xe Isotope Measurement Using JPL Ion Trap

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