Insights into secondary reactions occurring during atmospheric ablation of micrometeoroids
Ablation of micrometeoroids during atmospheric entry yields volatile gases such as water, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide, capable of altering atmospheric chemistry and hence the climate and habitability of the planetary surface. While laboratory experiments have revealed the yields of these gase...
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ftimperialcol:oai:spiral.imperial.ac.uk:10044/1/30416 2023-05-15T13:55:47+02:00 Insights into secondary reactions occurring during atmospheric ablation of micrometeoroids Court, RW Tan, J STFC 2016-03-13 http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/30416 https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12652 unknown Wiley 10044/1/33671 http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/33671 Meteoritics & Planetary Science This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Court, R. W. and Tan, J. (2016), Insights into secondary reactions occurring during atmospheric ablation of micrometeoroids. Meteorit Planet Sci, 51: 1163–1183, which has been published in final form at https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/maps.12652. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving. 1183 1163 Science & Technology Physical Sciences Geochemistry & Geophysics EARLY SOLAR-SYSTEM X-RAY-DIFFRACTION CARBONACEOUS CHONDRITES ORGANIC-MATTER PARENT BODY ANTARCTIC MICROMETEORITES THERMAL-DECOMPOSITION ISOTOPIC COMPOSITIONS MARTIAN ATMOSPHERE AQUEOUS ALTERATION 0201 Astronomical And Space Sciences 0402 Geochemistry 0403 Geology Journal Article 2016 ftimperialcol https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12652 2018-09-16T05:54:25Z Ablation of micrometeoroids during atmospheric entry yields volatile gases such as water, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide, capable of altering atmospheric chemistry and hence the climate and habitability of the planetary surface. While laboratory experiments have revealed the yields of these gases during laboratory simulations of ablation, the reactions responsible for the generation of these gases have remained unclear, with a typical assumption being that species simply undergo thermal decomposition without engaging in more complex chemistry. Here, pyrolysis–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy reveals that mixtures of meteorite-relevant materials undergo secondary reactions during simulated ablation, with organic matter capable of taking part in carbothermic reduction of iron oxides and sulfates, resulting in yields of volatile gases that differ from those predicted by simple thermal decomposition. Sulfates are most susceptible to carbothermic reduction, producing greater yields of sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide at lower temperatures than would be expected from simple thermal decomposition, even when mixed with meteoritically relevant abundances of low-reactivity Type IV kerogen. Iron oxides were less susceptible, with elevated yields of water, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide only occurring when mixed with high abundances of more reactive Type III kerogen. We use these insights to reinterpret previous ablation simulation experiments and to predict the reactions capable of occurring during ablation of carbonaceous micrometeoroids in atmospheres of different compositions. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Imperial College London: Spiral Antarctic Meteoritics & Planetary Science 51 6 1163 1183 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Imperial College London: Spiral |
op_collection_id |
ftimperialcol |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Science & Technology Physical Sciences Geochemistry & Geophysics EARLY SOLAR-SYSTEM X-RAY-DIFFRACTION CARBONACEOUS CHONDRITES ORGANIC-MATTER PARENT BODY ANTARCTIC MICROMETEORITES THERMAL-DECOMPOSITION ISOTOPIC COMPOSITIONS MARTIAN ATMOSPHERE AQUEOUS ALTERATION 0201 Astronomical And Space Sciences 0402 Geochemistry 0403 Geology |
spellingShingle |
Science & Technology Physical Sciences Geochemistry & Geophysics EARLY SOLAR-SYSTEM X-RAY-DIFFRACTION CARBONACEOUS CHONDRITES ORGANIC-MATTER PARENT BODY ANTARCTIC MICROMETEORITES THERMAL-DECOMPOSITION ISOTOPIC COMPOSITIONS MARTIAN ATMOSPHERE AQUEOUS ALTERATION 0201 Astronomical And Space Sciences 0402 Geochemistry 0403 Geology Court, RW Tan, J Insights into secondary reactions occurring during atmospheric ablation of micrometeoroids |
topic_facet |
Science & Technology Physical Sciences Geochemistry & Geophysics EARLY SOLAR-SYSTEM X-RAY-DIFFRACTION CARBONACEOUS CHONDRITES ORGANIC-MATTER PARENT BODY ANTARCTIC MICROMETEORITES THERMAL-DECOMPOSITION ISOTOPIC COMPOSITIONS MARTIAN ATMOSPHERE AQUEOUS ALTERATION 0201 Astronomical And Space Sciences 0402 Geochemistry 0403 Geology |
description |
Ablation of micrometeoroids during atmospheric entry yields volatile gases such as water, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide, capable of altering atmospheric chemistry and hence the climate and habitability of the planetary surface. While laboratory experiments have revealed the yields of these gases during laboratory simulations of ablation, the reactions responsible for the generation of these gases have remained unclear, with a typical assumption being that species simply undergo thermal decomposition without engaging in more complex chemistry. Here, pyrolysis–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy reveals that mixtures of meteorite-relevant materials undergo secondary reactions during simulated ablation, with organic matter capable of taking part in carbothermic reduction of iron oxides and sulfates, resulting in yields of volatile gases that differ from those predicted by simple thermal decomposition. Sulfates are most susceptible to carbothermic reduction, producing greater yields of sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide at lower temperatures than would be expected from simple thermal decomposition, even when mixed with meteoritically relevant abundances of low-reactivity Type IV kerogen. Iron oxides were less susceptible, with elevated yields of water, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide only occurring when mixed with high abundances of more reactive Type III kerogen. We use these insights to reinterpret previous ablation simulation experiments and to predict the reactions capable of occurring during ablation of carbonaceous micrometeoroids in atmospheres of different compositions. |
author2 |
STFC |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Court, RW Tan, J |
author_facet |
Court, RW Tan, J |
author_sort |
Court, RW |
title |
Insights into secondary reactions occurring during atmospheric ablation of micrometeoroids |
title_short |
Insights into secondary reactions occurring during atmospheric ablation of micrometeoroids |
title_full |
Insights into secondary reactions occurring during atmospheric ablation of micrometeoroids |
title_fullStr |
Insights into secondary reactions occurring during atmospheric ablation of micrometeoroids |
title_full_unstemmed |
Insights into secondary reactions occurring during atmospheric ablation of micrometeoroids |
title_sort |
insights into secondary reactions occurring during atmospheric ablation of micrometeoroids |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/30416 https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12652 |
geographic |
Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic |
op_source |
1183 1163 |
op_relation |
10044/1/33671 http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/33671 Meteoritics & Planetary Science |
op_rights |
This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Court, R. W. and Tan, J. (2016), Insights into secondary reactions occurring during atmospheric ablation of micrometeoroids. Meteorit Planet Sci, 51: 1163–1183, which has been published in final form at https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/maps.12652. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving. |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.12652 |
container_title |
Meteoritics & Planetary Science |
container_volume |
51 |
container_issue |
6 |
container_start_page |
1163 |
op_container_end_page |
1183 |
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1766262626005811200 |