What does this research mean for the field?

The surface binding energy (SBE) of volatiles like sodium on silicate surfaces depends nonlinearly on surface coverage and mineral composition, with increasing coverage shifting SBE distributions to lower energies even at low coverages. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.NOVEL_FINDING. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

This research aims to understand how surface properties, particularly surface binding energy, influence the ejection of volatiles.

July 26, 2026Open Access

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Atomic Simulations of Volatile Coverage on Silicate Surfaces

ARAmanda RickettsMemorial University of Newfoundland BCBenjamin A. Clouter‐GergenMemorial University of Newfoundland DED. S. EbelThe Graduate Center, CUNY

Key Points

This research aims to understand how surface properties, particularly surface binding energy, influence the ejection of volatiles.
Calculated surface binding energy distributions for sodium on silica, albite, and anorthite.
Analyzed the relationship between surface binding energy and varying mineral types and coverage levels.
Incorporated findings into sputtering models to evaluate their impact on yield and energy distributions.
Surface binding energy distributions shift to lower values with increased coverage, with mean binding energy decreasing even at 0.1 ML.
Demonstrated a nonlinear dependence of surface binding energy on coverage and surface composition.
Highlighted the significance of coverage-dependent surface binding energies in exosphere modeling.

Abstract

Abstract Understanding how surface processes shape exosphere formation on airless bodies is limited by how surface properties influence the ejection of volatiles such as Na. Recent studies show that retention and release are sensitive to surface binding energy (SBE), motivating the need for SBE values as a function of mineral type and surface coverage. Currently, Na SBE values are available only for silica at 0 or 1 monolayer (ML) coverage. Here, we present the first SBE distributions at intermediate coverages (0.1–0.75 ML) on silica, along with the first SBE distributions for Na adsorbed on albite and anorthite from 0 to 1 ML. Increasing coverage shifts SBE distributions to lower energies, with mean SBE decreasing even at 0.1 ML. Results demonstrate that SBE depends nonlinearly on coverage and surface composition. We incorporate findings into sputtering models to quantify their impact on yield and energy distributions, highlighting the importance of coverage‐dependent SBEs in exosphere modeling.

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Cite This Study

Ricketts et al. (Fri,) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a65a6b5d3aea3239cd77ef4 https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1029/2026gl122334

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