Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2008
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008agufm.p21a1314n&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2008, abstract #P21A-1314
Physics
5215 Origin Of Life, 6020 Ices, 6022 Impact Phenomena (5420, 8136), 6045 Physics And Chemistry Of Materials, 6281 Titan
Scientific paper
Titan's dense atmosphere, mostly composed of nitrogen and some methane, allows easy formation of long chains of organic molecules and high-molecular-weight organic solids, known as tholins. Over geologic time, both tholins and condensates of the organic gases accumulate in substantial amounts on the surface as liquid and solid. Titan's surface is then a repository of interesting organic molecules generated in the almost complete absence of water but sitting on top of ice. Until recently, researchers have been very careful in their speculations about what might be happening after these molecules get to the surface of Titan. What kind of organic chemistry occurs on the surface? Titan's thick atmosphere protects the surface and organics from harmful cosmic rays and ultraviolet radiation. It has been suggested that these organics could have been subjected to impact processing on Titan's and participate in the formation of products relevant to life such as amino acids, carboxylic acids, purines and pyrimidines. Subsequent impacts would probably have recycled some of the organic material back into the atmosphere. Furthermore the presence of condensable agents (C2N2, HCN, etc.) along with a natural concentrating mechanism makes polymerization of amino acids or others species likely. Laboratory simulations of meteoritic impact shocks onto Titan's icy surface have not yet been carried out, but preliminary experiments have been performed for planetary icy satellites. In these previous experiments, the possible chemical production induced by micrometeorite impact shocks on ices has been studied using a high-energy pulsed Nd-YAG laser to reproduce the shock phenomena during hypervelocity micrometeorite impacts into the icy material. The results show the production of various organics and inorganics. Here we have decided to extend those experiments to a simulated Titan's environment in order to study the effect of meteoritic impacts on the organic chemistry occurring on Titan's surface and to investigate the fate of tholins once condensated into the icy surface and bombarded by meteoritic impacts.
Khare Bishun N.
McKay Chris P.
Nna-Mvondo Delphine
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