The Possible Role of Penning Ionization Processes in Planetary Atmospheres

Falcinelli, Stefano; Pirani, Fernando; Vecchiocattivi, Franco

doi:10.3390/atmos6030299

Cited by 56 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 36 publications

(53 reference statements)

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“…Moreover, ions are extremely important in the upper atmosphere of planets, where they control the chemistry of ionospheres [6,7]. For example, the chemistry of the upper atmosphere of Titan has been detected to be extremely active by the instruments on board Cassini [8,9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Escape of O^+ and CO^+ Ions from Mars and Titan Atmospheres by Coulomb Explosion of CO₂²⁺ Molecular Dications

Falcinelli

2017

Acta Phys. Pol. A

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Main properties of multiply charged molecular ions (energetics, structure, stability, lifetime and fragmentation dynamics) are relevant to know and to model the behavior of gaseous plasmas, planetary ionospheres, and astrophysical environments. Experimental measurements of the kinetic energy released of fragment ions produced by the Coulomb explosion of molecular dications (doubly charged molecular species) originating by double photoionization of CO2 molecules, are reported and discussed. The kinetic energy released, as a function of the UV photon energy in the range of 34-50 eV, is extracted from the electron-ion-ion coincidence spectra recorded by using tunable synchrotron radiation coupled with ion imaging techniques at the GasPhase beam line of ELETTRA Synchrotron Light Laboratory Trieste, Italy. This kind of experiment allows assessing the probability of escape for simple ionic species in the ionosphere of Mars and Titan. The kinetic energy released, measured in the case of O + and CO ion density profiles by Viking 1 lander and Mariner 6 spacecraft.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Escape of O^+ and CO^+ Ions from Mars and Titan Atmospheres by Coulomb Explosion of CO₂²⁺ Molecular Dications

Falcinelli

2017

Acta Phys. Pol. A

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“…All ionization reactions play an important role in several phenomena occurring in low energy ionized plasmas [3], in the upper atmosphere of planets, where they govern the chemistry of ionospheres [4,5], and in electric discharges [6,7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular Fragmentation of Acetylene by VUV Double Photoionization

Falcinelli

Lorent

Pirani

et al. 2017

Proceedings of the 2nd International Electronic Conference on Atmospheric Sciences

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Acetylene is a simple molecule of interest for interstellar medium (ISM) and planetary atmospheres. The presence of C2H2 was detected by IR spectroscopic measurements. Acetylene was also found as a minor component in the atmosphere of gas giants like the planet Jupiter, in the atmosphere of Saturn's satellite Titan, and in comets, where photochemical experiments have demonstrated that this simple hydrocarbon is a likely precursor of C2, a widely observed component in such environments. It has to be noted that the presence in planetary atmospheres and ISM of Vacuum Ultra Violet (VUV) light's photons as well as cosmic rays makes highly probable the double photoionization of molecular species with the production of molecular dications producing subsequent dissociation into ionic fragments having a high kinetic energy content of several eV. This translational energy is sufficient in some cases to allow ions escape from the upper atmosphere of some planet of the Solar System, as Venus, Mars and Titan, into space. In this contribution we present the experimental study of the microscopic dynamics of the two-body dissociation reactions of the C2H2 +2 dication, induced by the double ionization of acetylene molecules by VUV photons in the energy range of 31.9-50.0 eV. The photoionizing agent was a tunable synchrotron radiation beam, while ion products are revealed by coupling photoelectron-photoion-photoion-coincidence and ion imaging techniques. The measured angular distributions and kinetic energy of product ions exhibit significant changes (as the photon energy increases) for the three leading dissociation reactions producing H + +C2H + , C + +CH2 + , and CH + + CH + , providing detailed information on the fragmentation dynamics of the C2H2 2+ dication.

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“…Furthermore, ionic species are extremely important in the upper atmosphere of planets, where they govern the chemistry of ionospheres [5,6]. In particular, the ionosphere chemistry of Titan has recently been revealed to be extremely active by the instruments on board Cassini [7,8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular Dications in Planetary Atmospheric Escape

et al. 2016

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Fundamental properties of multiply charged molecular ions, such as energetics, structure, stability, lifetime and fragmentation dynamics, are relevant to understand and model the behavior of gaseous plasmas as well as ionosphere and astrophysical environments. Experimental determinations of the Kinetic Energy Released (KER) for ions originating from dissociations reactions, induced by Coulomb explosion of doubly charged molecular ions (molecular dications) produced by double photoionization of CO 2 , N 2 O and C 2 H 2 molecules of interest in planetary atmospheres, are reported. The KER measurement as a function of the ultraviolet (UV) photon energy in the range of 28-65 eV was extracted from the electron-ion-ion coincidence spectra obtained by using tunable synchrotron radiation coupled with ion imaging techniques at the ELETTRA Synchrotron Light Laboratory Trieste, Italy. These experiments, coupled with a computational analysis based on a Monte Carlo trajectory simulation, allow assessing the probability of escape for simple ionic species in the upper atmosphere of Mars, Venus and Titan. The measured KER in the case of H + , C + , CH + , CH 2 + , N + , O + , CO + , N 2 + and NO + fragment ions range between 1.0 and 5.5 eV, being large enough to allow these ionic species to participate in the atmospheric escape from such planets into space. In the case of Mars, we suggest a possible explanation for the observed behavior of the O + and CO 2 2+ ion density profiles.

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The Possible Role of Penning Ionization Processes in Planetary Atmospheres

Cited by 56 publications

References 36 publications

The Escape of O^+ and CO^+ Ions from Mars and Titan Atmospheres by Coulomb Explosion of CO₂²⁺ Molecular Dications

The Escape of O^+ and CO^+ Ions from Mars and Titan Atmospheres by Coulomb Explosion of CO₂²⁺ Molecular Dications

Molecular Fragmentation of Acetylene by VUV Double Photoionization

Molecular Dications in Planetary Atmospheric Escape

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The Possible Role of Penning Ionization Processes in Planetary Atmospheres

Cited by 56 publications

References 36 publications

The Escape of O^+ and CO^+ Ions from Mars and Titan Atmospheres by Coulomb Explosion of CO22+ Molecular Dications

The Escape of O^+ and CO^+ Ions from Mars and Titan Atmospheres by Coulomb Explosion of CO22+ Molecular Dications

Molecular Fragmentation of Acetylene by VUV Double Photoionization

Molecular Dications in Planetary Atmospheric Escape

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The Escape of O^+ and CO^+ Ions from Mars and Titan Atmospheres by Coulomb Explosion of CO₂²⁺ Molecular Dications

The Escape of O^+ and CO^+ Ions from Mars and Titan Atmospheres by Coulomb Explosion of CO₂²⁺ Molecular Dications