Pore Accessibility in Amorphous Solid Water

Abstract The porous nature of amorphous solid water (ASW) can significantly effect the chemical evolution any planetary or astrophysical surface it forms on due to its ability trap and retain volatiles. amount volatiles that enter an ASW grain mantle is limited by how interconnected pores are each other exterior surface. Previous laboratory studies examined interconnectivity in thin films relevant ice mantles interstellar grains. Here, we investigate what extent subsequent gas absorption properties change as one moves toward thicker samples (up ∼10 19 H 2 O cm −2 ∼4 μ m) more representative icy material found outer solar system. We find for all film thicknesses studied, internal accessible from sample’s surface, needed fill increases linearly with column density. This linear relation supports will persist ices much than those were able study, suggesting contaminant trapped within alter a variety ASW-rich surfaces