Production of Organic Gases and Aerosols by Electrical Activity in Titan’s Tropospheric Clouds

Abstract

The corona discharge chem. of a Titan simulated atm. was investigatedby GC-FTIR-MS techniques. The main products are hydrocarbons (ethane,ethyne, ethene, propane, 2-methylpropane, n-butane, n-pentane, andn-hexane), nitriles (hydrogen cyanide, ethanenitrile, propanenitrile,and butanenitrile) and tholins (composed by a complex mixt. of highlybranched hydrocarbons). Because little UV penetrates to the loweratm. to destroy the mols. formed there, the corona-produced speciesmay be long-lived and contribute significantly to the compn. of thelower atm. and surface. [on SciFinder (R)]