Signatures of Quantum-Tunneling Diffusion of Hydrogen Atoms on Water Ice at 10 K

Reported here is the first observation of the tunneling surface diffusion of a hydrogen (H) atom on water ice. Photostimulated desorption and resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization methods were used to determine the diffusion rates at 10 K on amorphous solid water and polycrystalline ice. H-atom...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review letters 2015-09, Vol.115 (13), p.133201-133201, Article 133201
Main Authors: Kuwahata, K, Hama, T, Kouchi, A, Watanabe, N
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Crystal structure
Deuterium
Diffusion
Diffusion length
Diffusion rate
Hydrogen
Hydrogen atoms
Quantum tunnelling
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Summary:Reported here is the first observation of the tunneling surface diffusion of a hydrogen (H) atom on water ice. Photostimulated desorption and resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization methods were used to determine the diffusion rates at 10 K on amorphous solid water and polycrystalline ice. H-atom diffusion on polycrystalline ice was 2 orders of magnitude faster than that of deuterium atoms, indicating the occurrence of tunneling diffusion. Whether diffusion is by tunneling or thermal hopping also depends on the diffusion length of the atoms and the morphology of the surface. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of elementary physicochemical processes of hydrogen on cosmic ice dust.
ISSN:0031-9007
1079-7114
DOI:10.1103/physrevlett.115.133201