Formation of Nitrogen and Hydrogen‐bearing Molecules in Solid Ammonia and Implications for Solar System and Interstellar Ices

Abstract

We irradiated solid ammonia (NH3) in the temperature range of 10-60 K with high-energy electrons to simulate the processing of ammonia-bearing ices in the interstellar medium and in the solar system. By monitoring the newly formed molecules online and in situ, the synthesis of hydrazine (N2H4), diazene (N2H2 isomers), hydrogen azide (HN3), the amino radical (NH2), molecular hydrogen (H2), and molecular nitrogen (N2) has been confirmed. Our results show that the production rates of hydrazine, diazene, hydrogen azide, molecular hydrogen, and molecular nitrogen are higher in amorphous ammonia than those in crystalline ammonia; this behavior is similar to the production of molecular hydrogen, molecular oxygen, and hydrogen peroxide found in electron-irradiated water ices. However, the formation of hydrazine in crystalline ammonia does not show any temperature dependence. Our experimental results give hints to the origin of molecular nitrogen in the Saturnian system and possibly in the atmospheres of proto-Earth and Titan; our research may also guide the search of hitherto unobserved nitrogen-bearing molecules in the interstellar medium and in our solar system.