Lightning-induced chemistry on Saturn

Details Lightning-induced chemistry on Saturn Lightning-induced chemistry on Saturn

Sep 2008

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008dps....40.4202d&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #40, #42.02; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 40, p.472

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

1

Scientific paper

The occurrence of lightning in the atmosphere of Saturn was first detected by instruments on the Voyager spacecraft from electrostatic discharges generating the Saturn kilometric radiation (SKR). More recent observations by Cassini have detected these Saturn electrostatic discharges (SED) at higher energies. The SED events appear to be related to the presence of exceptionally bright clouds which have come from convective updrafts of lower lying clouds or gases brought to higher altitudes which then condense and form unstable air leading to lightning and precipitation (Dyudina et al, 2007). The clouds will condense as bright white clouds, but they turn red with time. The lightning storms occurring in February 2008 seemed to be originating in a yellow S-shaped ("dragon") cloud at 35 degree N latitude, the location of slowest atmospheric motion and maximum potential for buoyant updraft. As the clouds age, they move slowly west and darken, forming circular dark or black spots in the atmosphere. The lightning is occurring at much deeper altitudes on Saturn than on Jupiter (20 bars versus 7 bars, respectively). Lightning should cause the production of new molecules from shock chemistry and thermal effects. The reddish or black materials produced in these clouds may be sulfur compounds (for the red materials) or elemental reddish, black or violet phosphorus (from breakdown of phosphine, PH3). If, from updraft, ammonium hydrosulfide (NH4SH) clouds encounter water (H2O) clouds (from which they are usually stratified in altitude and don't mix), NH4SH could react to produce NH4OH, releasing H2S. H2S can then be dissociated by lightning to produce red and yellow sulfur, most likely responsible for the red color in Jupiter's Great Red Spot (Baines, et al, 2004, Delitsky and Baines 2007). Elemental phosphorus can come in red, violet, white or black forms. Black phosphorus conducts electricity.

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