𝔖 Bobbio Scriptorium
✦   LIBER   ✦

A primordial origin for the atmospheric methane of Saturn’s moon Titan

✍ Scribed by Olivier Mousis; Jonathan I. Lunine; Matthew Pasek; Daniel Cordier; J. Hunter Waite Jr.; Kathleen E. Mandt; William S. Lewis; Mai-Julie Nguyen


Publisher
Elsevier Science
Year
2009
Tongue
English
Weight
165 KB
Volume
204
Category
Article
ISSN
0019-1035

No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.

✦ Synopsis


The origin of Titan's atmospheric methane is a key issue for understanding the origin of the saturnian satellite system. It has been proposed that serpentinization reactions in Titan's interior could lead to the formation of the observed methane. Meanwhile, alternative scenarios suggest that methane was incorporated in Titan's planetesimals before its formation. Here, we point out that serpentinization reactions in Titan's interior are not able to reproduce the deuterium over hydrogen (D/H) ratio observed at present in methane in its atmosphere, and would require a maximum D/ H ratio in Titan's water ice 30% lower than the value likely acquired by the satellite during its formation, based on Cassini observations at Enceladus. Alternatively, production of methane in Titan's interior via radiolytic reactions with water can be envisaged but the associated production rates remain uncertain. On the other hand, a mechanism that easily explains the presence of large amounts of methane trapped in Titan in a way consistent with its measured atmospheric D/H ratio is its direct capture in the satellite's planetesimals at the time of their formation in the solar nebula. In this case, the mass of methane trapped in Titan's interior can be up to $1300 times the current mass of atmospheric methane.


📜 SIMILAR VOLUMES


The absence of endogenic methane on Tita
✍ Christopher R. Glein; Steven J. Desch; Everett L. Shock 📂 Article 📅 2009 🏛 Elsevier Science 🌐 English ⚖ 331 KB

We calculate the D/H ratio of CH 4 from serpentinization on Titan to determine whether Titan's atmospheric CH 4 was originally produced inside the giant satellite. This is done by performing equilibrium isotopic fractionation calculations in the CH 4 -H 2 O-H 2 system, with the assumption that the b

Impact-induced N2 production from ammoni
✍ Sho Fukuzaki; Yasuhito Sekine; Hidenori Genda; Seiji Sugita; Toshihiko Kadono; T 📂 Article 📅 2010 🏛 Elsevier Science 🌐 English ⚖ 773 KB

Chemical reactions and volatile supply through hypervelocity impacts may have played a key role for the origin and evolution of both planetary and satellite atmospheres. In this study, we evaluate the role of impact-induced N 2 production from reduced nitrogen-bearing solids proposed to be contained