The contribution by thunderstorms to the abundances of CO,C2H2, and HCN on Jupiter |
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| Authors: | A Bar-Nun M Podolak |
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| Institution: | Department of Geophysics and Planetary Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel |
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| Abstract: | The lightning energy dissipation rate on Jupiter from Voyager's observation is used, together with shock-tube experimental results and reasonable eddy diffusion coefficients for the various atmospheric layers, to compute the column abundances of lightning-produced CO, C2H2, and HCN. Shock-tube experiments on the hydrogenation of CO clearly rule out chemical “freezing” of CO at the 1064°K and 400-bar level and its subsequent upwelling to the upper atmosphere. Also, lightning in the water cloud cannot produce enough CO to meet its observed abundance. Hence, the CO is formed from an external source of oxygen or water. The production of acetylene both by lightning above the water cloud and by startospheric methane photolysis is required to maintain its observed abundance against destruction processes. This explains the decrease in the C2H2/C2H6 ratio from the equator to the pole, as observed in the IR. HCN production by lightning above the water cloud is sufficient to account for its observed abundance and meets the observational requirement of a tropospheric HCN source. |
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