New insights into Titan's organic chemistry in the gas and aerosol phases.
Titan, the largest satellite of Saturn, with a dense atmosphere very rich in organics, and many couplings in the various parts of its "geofluid", is a reference for studying prebiotic chemistry on a planetary scale. New data have been obtained from experiments simulating this organic chemistry (gas and aerosol phases), within the right ranges of temperature and a careful avoiding of any chemical contamination. They show a very good agreement with the observational data, demonstrating for the first time the formation of all the organic species already detected in Titan atmosphere including, at last, C4N2, together with many other species not yet detected in Titan. This strongly suggests the presence of more complex organics in Titan's atmosphere and surface, including high molecular weight polyynes and cyanopolyynes. The NASA-ESA Cassini-Huygens mission has been successfully launched in October 1997. The Cassini spacecraft will reach the Saturn system in 2004 and become an orbiter around Saturn, while the Huygens probe will penetrate into Titan's atmosphere. In situ measurements, in particular from Huygens GC-MS and ACP instruments, will provide a detailed analysis of the organics present in the air, aerosols, and surface. This very ambitious mission should yield much information of crucial importance for our knowledge of the complexity of Titan's chemistry, and, more generally for the field of exobiology.
Raulin
F
F
LISA, CNRS, Creteil, France.
Coll
P
P
Smith
N
N
Benilan
Y
Y
Bruston
P
P
Gazeau
M C
MC
D000336:Aerosols / Q000032:analysis; D001272:Atmosphere / Q000737:chemistry*; D018559:Exobiology; D005118:Extraterrestrial Environment; D005740:Gases / Q000032:analysis; D008956:Models, Chemical; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis*; D010777:Photochemistry; D018539:Saturn; D013026:Space Flight / Q000295:instrumentation*; D018531:Spacecraft / Q000295:instrumentation
D000336:Aerosols; D005740:Gases; D009930:Organic Chemicals