Open AccessOrigin of oxygen species in Titan's atmosphere
Author(s) -
Hörst S. M.,
Vuitton V.,
Yelle R. V.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: planets
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2008je003135
Subject(s) - titan (rocket family) , outgassing , astrobiology , atmosphere (unit) , oxygen , atmosphere of titan , flux (metallurgy) , ion , spectrometer , environmental science , physics , chemistry , astronomy , optics , meteorology , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics
The detection of O + precipitating into Titan's atmosphere by the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS) represents the discovery of a previously unknown source of oxygen in Titan's atmosphere. The photochemical model presented here shows that those oxygen ions are incorporated into CO and CO 2 . We show that the observed abundances of CO, CO 2 and H 2 O can be simultaneously reproduced using an oxygen flux consistent with the CAPS observations and an OH flux consistent with predicted production from micrometeorite ablation. It is therefore unnecessary to assume that the observed CO abundance is the remnant of a larger primordial CO abundance or to invoke outgassing of CO from Titan's interior as a source of CO.