Titan aerosol analog absorption features produced from aromatics in the far infrared

Joshua A. Sebree, Melissa G. Trainer, Mark J. Loeffler, Carrie M. Anderson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

30 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present results on the formation of Titan aerosol analogs produced via far-UV irradiation of five aromatic precursors: benzene, naphthalene, pyridine, quinoline and isoquinoline. This is the first reported evidence of far-IR emission features observed below 200cm-1 in laboratory-created Titan aerosols. These laboratory studies were motivated by recent analyses of Cassini Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) spectra that show a broad aerosol emission feature in the far-IR spectral region centered near 140cm-1, which is unique to Titan's photochemically-produced aerosol (Anderson, C.M., Samuelson, R.E. [2011]. Icarus 212, 762-778). We find that all three of the aerosol analogs formed from nitrogen-containing aromatics have similar broad emission features near that of the observed CIRS far-IR aerosol spectral feature. In addition, the inclusion of 1.5% methane to that of trace amounts of benzene also gives rise to an aerosol with a weak far-IR emission feature located below 200cm-1.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)146-152
Number of pages7
JournalIcarus
Volume236
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 1 2014
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Atmospheres, chemistry
  • Spectroscopy
  • Titan, atmosphere

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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