Formation of nitric oxide and nitrous oxide in electron-irradiated H(2)18O/N2 ice mixtures--evidence for the existence of free oxygen atoms in interstellar and solar system analog ices.

We investigated the irradiation of low temperature H(2)(18)O/N(2) ice mixtures with energetic electrons in an ultrahigh vacuum chamber. The newly formed species, such as nitric oxide (N(18)O), nitrous oxide (NN(18)O), hydrogen peroxide (H(2)(18)O(2)) and hydrazine (N(2)H(4)), were identified in the experiments with infrared absorption spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The results suggest that the unimolecular decomposition of water molecules within water ices at 10 K can lead to the formation of transient, suprathermal oxygen atoms. These oxygen atoms may play an important role in the formation of oxygen-containing biomolecules such as amino acids and sugar, as well as the decomposition of the biomolecules in the ices.