Formation of Halogen-bearing Species. I. Irradiation of Methyl Fluorides in Carbon Monoxide Ice with VUV Light and Electrons

Abstract

We studied the synthesis of fluorine-bearing species by the irradiation of CO ice containing a small proportion of CH3F at 10 K with vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) light and energetic electrons. Photolysis of the ice sample with VUV light with a wavelength of 121.6 nm produced mainly fragments of CH3F, whereas both carbon oxides and fragments of CH3F were generated by irradiation with broadband VUV light. In contrast, electron irradiation of a similar ice sample generated not only those products observed in the photolysis experiments, but also complex organic hydrocarbons and fluorinated (carbon) oxides. This observation of the distinctive effect of the formation of different products by different excitation sources provides an insight into the energetic processes occurring in interstellar icy dust grains.