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Titan, the biggest satellite of Saturn, have a dense atmosphere mainly composed of N2 and a few amount of CH4. High energy solar photons and electrons from the magnetosphere of Saturn generate a wide range of organic species from simple volatiles to organic solid particles. All around Titan, a dense and opaque brown aerosol layers prevents the observation of the soil. To get more information on Titan’s atmosphere, the Cassini-Huygens space probes launched in 1997 and the Huygens module descend in the atmosphere of Titan on the 14th January 2005. Before the Cassini-Huygens program, laboratory simulation approach was already initiated for the production of analogues of Titan’s aerosols, named “tholins”. Different types of plasmas have been used. Elementary analysis of “tholins” have also been done. From plasma modelling, the Electron Energy Distribution Function is calculated and compared to the solar energy spectrum. Some results on composition of tholins produced in RF plasmas are presented: morphology from MEB observation, elemental composition. A tentative of correlation between plasma properties and tholins composition is done. © 2005 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A RF capacitively coupled plasma in nitrogen methane mixture is used to simulate the production of aerosols observed in the atmosphere of Titan, satellite of Saturn. Plasma characteristics are studied by Optical Emission Spectroscopy. The gas temperature is deduced from the rotational spectra of the nitrogen second positive system. An evolution of the electron mean energy is also pointed out from the intensity evolution of this second positive system. A tentative of correlation between plasma spectroscopy and solid particles composition is done. © 2005 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titan’s atmospheric chemistry is simulated using a Capacitively Coupled Plasma discharge produced in a N2-CH4 mixture. The produced solid particles are analysed ex-situ. Chemical properties are deduced from: elemental composition, FTIR and LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometer. Optical properties are deduced from reflectivity in visible and IR range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]