Application of thermodesorption mass spectrometry for studying proton water formation in the lunar regolith

Abstract

In this paper, we report experimental data on the implantation of hydrogen ions of different energies into crystalline quartz samples. It was shown that irradiation with protons with an energy of 20 keV produces an amorphous film on the surface of a quartz sample, and irradiation with 90-keV protons results in the formation of a layer with interstitial defects and an increase in the unit-cell parameter of quartz with preservation of the crystal structure of the disturbed layer. The examination of the samples by thermodesorption mass spectrometry showed that high-energy irradiation resulted also in loosening of the surface layer and considerable expansion of high-potential adsorption sites, which was the reason for the observed peak desorption of gases. The existence of desorption peaks allowed us to calculate the activation energy of surface desorption of gas components. It was also found that an increase in irradiation energy tends to enhance the total degassing of samples.