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Evolution of Titan and implications for its hydrocarbon cycle
- Source :
- HAL, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series A, Mathematical and Physical Sciences (1934–1990), Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series A, Mathematical and Physical Sciences (1934–1990), 2009, 367, pp.617-631. ⟨10.1098/rsta.2008.0246⟩, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series A, Containing Papers of a Math. or Phys. Character (1896–1934), Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series A, Containing Papers of a Math. or Phys. Character (1896–1934), Royal Society, The, 2009, 367, pp.617-631, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series A, Containing Papers of a Math. or Phys. Character (1896–1934), 2009, 367, pp.617-631
- Publication Year :
- 2008
- Publisher :
- The Royal Society, 2008.
-
Abstract
- Measurements of the carbon and nitrogen isotopic ratios as well as the detection of 40 Ar and 36 Ar by the gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GCMS) instrument on board the Huygens probe have provided key constraints on the origin and evolution of Titan's atmosphere, and indirectly on the evolution of its interior. Those data combined with models of Titan's interior can be used to determine the story of volatile outgassing since Titan's formation. In the absence of an internal source, methane, which is irreversibly photodissociated in Titan's stratosphere, should be removed entirely from the atmosphere in a time-span of a few tens of millions of years. The episodic destabilization of methane clathrate reservoir stored within Titan's crust and subsequent methane outgassing could explain the present atmospheric abundance of methane, as well as the presence of argon in the atmosphere. The idea that methane is released from the interior through eruptive processes is also supported by the observations of several cryovolcanic-like features on Titan's surface by the mapping spectrometer (VIMS) and the radar on board Cassini. Thermal instabilities within the icy crust, possibly favoured by the presence of ammonia, may explain the observed features and provide the conditions for eruption of methane and other volatiles. Episodic resurfacing events associated with thermal and compositional instabilities in the icy crust can have major consequences on the hydrocarbon budget on Titan's surface and atmosphere.
- Subjects :
- Argon
Methane clathrate
General Mathematics
General Engineering
General Physics and Astronomy
chemistry.chemical_element
Crust
Atmospheric sciences
Nitrogen
Methane
Astrobiology
chemistry.chemical_compound
symbols.namesake
Outgassing
[SDU.STU.PL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Planetology
chemistry
symbols
Environmental science
[PHYS.ASTR]Physics [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph]
Titan (rocket family)
Stratosphere
ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 14712962, 1364503X, 00804614, and 02643952
- Volume :
- 367
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....81e210ca74444aa7bb6f80494e3efe18