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Phosphine photochemistry in Saturn’s atmosphere
Author(s) -
Kaye Jack A.,
Strobel Darrell F.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/gl010i010p00957
Subject(s) - photodissociation , atmosphere (unit) , photochemistry , phosphine , troposphere , saturn , chemistry , chromophore , reaction rate constant , analytical chemistry (journal) , catalysis , meteorology , physics , environmental chemistry , kinetics , organic chemistry , astrophysics , planet , quantum mechanics
The phosphine photochemistry on Saturn is studied with a 1D photochemical model. The PH 3 concentration is rapidly depleted with height (scale height 3.5 km) in the upper troposphere. Formation of P, a probable precursor of P 4 , (a potential red chromophore in the atmosphere), is highly improbable unless the rate constant for the recombination reaction PH + H 2 + M → PH 3 + M is less than 10 −41 cm 6 molec −2 sec −1 . Coupling of PH 3 and hydrocarbon photochemistry, specifically the C 2 H 2 catalyzed photodissociation of CH 4 , is important. Column production rates of the organophosphorus compounds CH 3 PH 2 and HCP of ∼3 × 10 8 cm −2 sec −1 are predicted, with potentially observable column densities of >1 × 10 17 cm −2 .