Cosmic ray-ice interaction studied by radiolysis of 15 K methane ice with MeV O, Fe and Zn ions

Methane (CH4) ice is found in the interstellar medium and in several bodies of the Solar system, where it is commonly exposed to cosmic rays and stellar winds. The chemical, physical and structural effects induced by fast heavy ions in thin layers of pure CH4 ices at 15 K are analysed by mid-infrared spectroscopy (Fourier transform infrared). Different pure CH4 ice samples were irradiated with 6 M...