Triton: stratospheric molecules and organic sediments |
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| Authors: | Thompson W R Singh S K Khare B N Sagan C |
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| Institution: | Laboratory for Planetary Studies, Cornell University, USA. |
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| Abstract: | Hydrocarbons and nitriles are produced in Triton's stratosphere by energetic electrons from Neptune's magnetosphere and other charged particle sources. Laboratory plasma experiments reported here show a substantial yield of molecules from low pressure flows of 10(-3) CH4 in N2 appropriate to Triton if both CH4 and N2 are saturated at the surface. An active magnetosphere similar to that of Uranus would result in a flux approximately 0.3 erg cm-2 s-1 of 0.1-1 MeV electrons in Triton's stratosphere; molecular production rates are then 10(6)-10(8) cm-2 s-1 for NH3, C2H2, HCN, and NCCN; tens of hundreds of gm cm-2 of these compounds per 10(9) yr (and lesser quantities of at least eight other molecules experimentally detected) would freeze to fine-grained white condensates in the lower stratosphere and sediment to the surface. Along with dark/colored organic haze produced in the stratosphere and other heteropolymers produced at the surface, these condensates are subjects to redistribution by aeolian processes and may appear as lag deposits and/or sediment layers. A simple eddy diffusion model indicates abundances approximately 10(19) molec cm-2 for HCN and C2H2, and > 10(17) molec cm-2 for NCCN, CH3CCH, CH2CCH2, and CH3CN in the stratosphere; these and other organic molecules will be detectable by IRIS if the stratosphere is (as expected) heated through ultraviolet and visible light absorption by the haze. |
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