Ammonia Frost and Transient Features on Titan

Details Ammonia Frost and Transient Features on Titan Ammonia Frost and Transient Features on Titan

Sep 2009

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009dps....41.0705s&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #41, #7.05

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Scientific paper

NH3 has long been considered an important component in the formation and evolution of the outer planet satellites. NH3 is seen in clouds in the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn, but has yet to be detected on any of the satellites. This may be because all forms of NH3 are unstable in the ambient conditins of the satellites surfaces or that its spectral features are altered by other components of the surface, and have not been identified. However, NH3 has been suggested as a possible source for sustaining Titan's thick nitrogen-dominated atmosphere.
It has recently been demonstrated [1] that brightening occurs in Titan's atmosphere that is transient on the time-scale of months. The spectral shape of the brightening is consistent with that of the transient apparition of a pure ammonia frost, but not of a ammonia monohydrate or ammonia dehydrate frost. The hydrate forms would be expected if the frost, or the reservoir from which the frost was derived had any water present.
The conditions under which anhydrous ammonia can be obtained, and new reflectance spectra of ammonia frost are discussed.
References:
[1] Nelson, R.M., et al. Saturn's Titan: Surface Change, Ammonia, and Implications for Atmospheric and Tectonic Activity., Icarus, 199, pp. 429-441, 2009
This work was performed at JPL under contract to NASA

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