Stability of ice-embedded glycine under space ionizing radiations: a RT-TD-DFT and DFT study

Abstract

The energy depositions and charge variations induced by the collision of a glycine molecule embedded in an amorphous ice with a 46 MeV Ni¹¹⁺ ionizing radiation were investigated using RT-TD-DFT theory. The resulting fragmentation from this interaction was analyzed using DFT theory. Our study shows that the impact of the projectile on the surrounding water-ice molecules has a negligible effect on the charge exchange between the glycine and water subsystems while a direct collision of the projectile with the glycine molecule results in its significant ionization despite the water environment.