Faculty Publications

Titan Aerosol Analog Absorption Features Produced From Aromatics In The Far Infrared

Document Type

Article

Keywords

Atmospheres, chemistry, Spectroscopy, Titan, atmosphere

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Icarus

Volume

236

First Page

146

Last Page

152

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. © 2014 Elsevier Inc.

Department

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Original Publication Date

7-1-2014

DOI of published version

10.1016/j.icarus.2014.03.039

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