Exobiological Implications of a Possible Ammonia-Water Ocean inside Titan

Details Exobiological Implications of a Possible Ammonia-Water Ocean inside Titan Exobiological Implications of a Possible Ammonia-Water Ocean inside Titan

Aug 2000

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2000icar..146..444f&link_type=abstract

Icarus, Volume 146, Issue 2, pp. 444-452 (2000).

Computer Science

36

Scientific paper

Models of Titan's thermal history indicate that an ocean consisting of an ammonia-water solution, as much as 200 km deep, is presently concealed beneath a crust of water ice. Conditions within this hypothetical ocean are discussed here and compared with conditions in terrestrial biomes. These conditions, while extreme by terrestrial standards, are such that life could indeed survive. This is in stark contrast with conditions on the surface where even the simplest prebiotic reactions have half-lives of the order 107 years, and free water would only infrequently be available to participate in chemical reactions. The plausible existence of life within Titan's subterranean ocean is discussed in terms of the effects that gaseous waste products of such indigenous organisms could have on the chemical and isotopic composition of the atmosphere. The possibility that all of Titan's current atmospheric CH4 and N2 is of biogenic origin is explored from a consideration of the potential productivity of oceanic microbes. While microbial life appears to be possible, it is unlikely that the Cassini/Huygens mission will be able to distinguish any unambiguous biomarkers. The existence and possible depth of the ocean may be constrained from Cassini flyby data, but detection of life in that ocean calls for a closer examination than the Huygens lander will afford us.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Exobiological Implications of a Possible Ammonia-Water Ocean inside Titan does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Exobiological Implications of a Possible Ammonia-Water Ocean inside Titan, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Exobiological Implications of a Possible Ammonia-Water Ocean inside Titan will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-740349