Methane-Nitrogen Binary Nucleation: A New Microphysical Mechanism for Cloud Formation in Titan's Atmosphere

Details Methane-Nitrogen Binary Nucleation: A New Microphysical Mechanism for Cloud Formation in Titan's Atmosphere Methane-Nitrogen Binary Nucleation: A New Microphysical Mechanism for Cloud Formation in Titan's Atmosphere

Mar 2012

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2012apj...747...36t&link_type=abstract

The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 747, Issue 1, article id. 36 (2012).

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Methods: Numerical, Planets And Satellites: Atmospheres, Planets And Satellites: Composition

Scientific paper

It is known that clouds are present in the troposphere of Titan; however, their formation mechanism, particle size, and chemical composition remain poorly understood. In this study, a two-component (CH4 and N2) bin-microphysics model is developed and applied to simulate cloud formation in the troposphere of Titan. A new process, binary nucleation of particles from CH4 and N2 gases, is considered. The model is validated and calibrated by recent laboratory experiments that synthesize particle formation in Titan-like environments. Our model simulations show that cloud layers can be formed at about 20 km with a particle size ranging from one to several hundred μm and number concentration 10-2 to over 100 cm-3 depending on the strength of the vertical updraft. The particles are formed by binary nucleation and grow via the condensation of both CH4 and N2 gases, with their N2 mole fraction varying from <10% in the nucleation stage to >30% in the condensation growth stage. The locally occurring CH4-N2 binary nucleation mechanism is strong and could potentially be more important than the falling condensation nuclei mechanism assumed in many current models.

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