Lightning synthesis of organic compounds on Jupiter

Physics

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Scientific paper

The production of distinctive disequilibrium species in high-temperature shock waves is considered from an energetic viewpoint in order to assess the production of CO, HCN, CH2O, and hydrocarbons by lightning discharges on Jupiter. The maximum efficiency of production of these species is found to be ~2 × 10-14 g . erg-1 for shock to the CH4/CO boundary (where pCO = pCH4) at pressures below ~100 b. Using Jupiter's entire internal heat source of 0.9 × 104 ergs . cm-2 . sec-1 to make lightning with the same efficiency as on Earth (10-5 erg lightning per erg of total energy flux) produces ~ 2 × 10-15 g . cm-2 . sec-1 of CO, 2 × 10-17 g . sec-1 of HCN, and ~2 × 10-19 g . cm-2 . sec-1 of organic matter. Photochemical and thermochemical sources of CO and N2, the dominant disequilibrium shockwave products, are far larger than the lightning source. The steady-state mole fraction of the most abundant distinctive lightning product, HCN, near the 300°K level is predicted to be only ~3 × 10-17. Even if every erg of Jupiter's heat flux is used with perfect efficiency to shock gas to the optimum (P, T) conditions for efficient HCN synthesis, XHCN from this source is only ~3 × 10-12. Lightning synthesis is of negligible importance on Jupiter.

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