Formation of Large Organic Compounds in Titan's Atmosphere and Its Implications for Titan Haze Formation

Details Formation of Large Organic Compounds in Titan's Atmosphere and Its Implications for Titan Haze Formation Formation of Large Organic Compounds in Titan's Atmosphere and Its Implications for Titan Haze Formation

Oct 2007

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007dps....39.6302w&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #39, #63.02; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 39, p.543

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

The atmosphere of Titan acts as a natural low-temperature laboratory that converts nitrogen and methane into a collection of hydrocarbons and nitriles with the help of a variety of energy sources, such as UV radiation, photo- and magnetospheric electrons, and galactic cosmic rays. The end product of this conversion is an opaque haze layer that resides in the stratosphere, with extended layers reaching as high as Titan's ionosphere. The Cassini-Huygens mission has revealed clues about the structure and extent of Titan's haze region as well as abundances of organic species that may act as chemical precursors to haze formation. In particular, the identification of imines and large ions [1] in the upper atmosphere, the classification of N-H functional groups in the pyrolyzed haze sample, and the observation of benzene by the INMS [2], CIRS [3], and GCMS [4] instruments all have implications for Titan haze formation. Furthermore, recent laboratory studies have made it possible for modelers to elucidate how many of these possible precursors are chemical processed. However, some of the compounds that have been identified in laboratory simulations as well as observations have not been studied under the low-temperature conditions that characterize Titan's atmosphere. Results from an updated photochemical model will be presented, detailing our understanding of the mechanisms that precede Titan haze formation and highlighting compounds and mechanisms where further laboratory study is most needed.
[1] V. Vuitton, et al., Ap. J., 647, L175 (2006).
[2] J.H. Waite, BAAS, 38, 548 (2006).
[3] F.M. Flasar, et al., Science, 308, 975 (2005).
[4] H.B. Niemann, et al., Nature, 438, 779 (2005).

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