Chemistry at the Organic-Mineral Interface Relevant to Titan

Details Chemistry at the Organic-Mineral Interface Relevant to Titan Chemistry at the Organic-Mineral Interface Relevant to Titan

Oct 2010

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010dps....42.3604a&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #42, #36.04; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 42, p.1065

Biology

Scientific paper

The observation of rivers and lakes on Titan has generated considerable interest with regard to prebiotic chemistry, since these fluvial features provide a liquid medium for reactions and a transportation mechanism for catalytic mineral deposits left behind by meteorite impacts similar to the one that caused the Sinlap crater. Although numerous laboratory measurements and theoretical models have been used to study atmospheric chemistry applicable to Titan's potential astrobiology, few experiments have been performed to understand gas-/liquid-surface reactions. We are exploring heterogeneous chemistry relevant to Titan using low energy electrons (5-50 eV) as an analog of the incident cosmic rays and secondary electrons they generate. Amorphous alkane/acetylene ices have been deposited on mineral and carbon substrates to simulate lake environments. In some cases, small amounts of amorphous water ice have been deposited at the organic-mineral boundary to model the interface of the hydrocarbon "soil” and the underlying water-ice "bedrock” of Titan. Preliminary results suggest that protonation occurs readily even at the low temperatures observed on Titan's surface ( 100 K). These experiments are some of the first aimed at understanding chemistry at the organic-mineral interface under conditions relevant to Titan, in particular at the edges of hydrocarbon lakes. This work has been performed as part of the NASA Astrobiology Institute "Titan as a Prebiotic System” at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Chemistry at the Organic-Mineral Interface Relevant to 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 Chemistry at the Organic-Mineral Interface Relevant to Titan, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Chemistry at the Organic-Mineral Interface Relevant to Titan will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1227928