Lightning production of hydrocarbons and HCN on Titan: Laboratory measurements

Borucki, W. J.; Giver, L. P.; McKay, Christopher P.; Scattergood, T. W.; Parris, J. E.

doi:10.1016/0019-1035(88)90145-5

Cited by 46 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 37 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Since the Voyager 1 flyby of Titan in November 1980 the possibility of lightning Porco et al 2005a). Could lightning discharges develop in such clouds?-Cassini/RPWS did not detect lightning associated radio emissions on Titan has been investigated by theoretical and experimental studies of its complex atmospheric chemistry (Gupta et al 1981;Borucki et al 1984Borucki et al , 1988Navarro-González et al 2001), mostly with positive and promising results. The non-detection of Titan lightning radio emissions by Voyager's radio instrument (Desch and Kaiser 1990) still could be explained by Titan's low or episodic flash rate developed a model for thundercloud and lightning generation on Titan.…”

Section: Titanmentioning

confidence: 97%

Updated Review of Planetary Atmospheric Electricity

Yair

Fischer

Simões³

et al. 2008

Space Sci Rev

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper reviews the progress achieved in planetary atmospheric electricity, with focus on lightning observations by present operational spacecraft, aiming to fill the hiatus from the latest review published by Desch et al. (Rep. Prog. Phys. 65:955-997, 2002). The information is organized according to solid surface bodies (Earth, Venus, Mars and Titan) and gaseous planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune), and each section presents the latest results from space-based and ground-based observations as well as laboratory experiments. Finally, we review planned future space missions to Earth and other planets that will address some of the existing gaps in our knowledge.

show abstract

Section: Titanmentioning

confidence: 97%

Updated Review of Planetary Atmospheric Electricity

Yair

Fischer

Simões³

et al. 2008

Space Sci Rev

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…One set of arc discharge experiments have sometimes yielded efficiencies comparable to those of laser-induced hot plasmas. In an extensive set of experiments by Briner et al (1919Briner et al ( , 1938, HCN production efficiencies were found to vary from 49 to 361 nmote j-1 in CHIN2 atmospheres at atmospheric pressure. Analogous experiments at pressures ranging from 155 to 328 mbar gave yields in the range 49 to 426 nmole J-l.…”

Section: Relative Organic Production From Lightning and Coronal Dischmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…In the natural world, lightning is a hot plasma process (Thompson et al, 1991), so that sufficientlyhigh-pressure arc discharges may provide adequate simulations. Laser-induced hot plasmas will also provide good laboratory simulations of lightning (Borucki et al, 1988;Scattergood et al, 1989).…”

Section: Electrical Discharge Terminology: Hot and Cold Plasmasmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electrical energy sources for organic synthesis on the early earth

Chyba

Sagan

1991

Origins Life Evol Biosphere

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In 1959, Miller and Urey (Science 130, 245) published their classic compilation of energy sources for indigenous prebiotic organic synthesis on the early Earth. Much contemporary origins of life research continues to employ their original estimates for terrestrial energy dissipation by lightning and coronal discharges, 2 x 10(19) J yr-1 and 6 x 10(19) J yr-1, respectively. However, more recent work in terrestrial lightning and point discharge research suggests that these values are overestimates by factors of about 20 and 120, respectively. Calculated concentrations of amino acids (or other prebiotic organic products) in the early terrestrial oceans due to electrical discharge sources may therefore have been equally overestimated. A review of efficiencies for those experiments that provide good analogues to naturally-occurring lightning and coronal discharges suggests that lightning energy yields for organic synthesis (nmole J-1) are about one order of magnitude higher than those for coronal discharge. Therefore organic production by lightning may be expected to have dominated that due to coronae on early Earth. Limited data available for production of nitric oxide in clouds suggests that coronal emission within clouds, a source of energy heretofore too uncertain to be included in the total coronal energy inventory, is insufficient to change this conclusion. Our recommended values for lightning and coronal discharge dissipation rates on the early Earth are, respectively, 1 x 10(18) J yr-1 and 5 x 10(17) J yr-1.

show abstract

“…On Titan in particular, HCN and related compounds are in abundance [34]. Simulated atmosphere experiments help explain the production of HCN and other hydrocarbons on Titan [35]. Self-polymerization reactions of HCN produce extended polymers as an insoluble tar that yields amino acids [36] and nucleobases [37] upon hydrolysis.…”

Section: The Origin Of Organic Material: Oil and Surfactantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metabolism and motility in prebiotic structures

Hanczyc

2011

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Easily accessible, primitive chemical structures produced by self-assembly of hydrophobic substances into oil droplets may result in self-moving agents able to sense their environment and move to avoid equilibrium. These structures would constitute very primitive examples of life on the Earth, even more primitive than simple bilayer vesicle structures. A few examples of simple chemical systems are presented that self-organize to produce oil droplets capable of movement, environment remodelling and primitive chemotaxis. These chemical agents are powered by an internal chemical reaction based on the hydrolysis of an oleic anhydride precursor or on the hydrolysis of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) polymer, a plausible prebiotic chemistry. Results are presented on both the behaviour of such droplets and the surface-active properties of HCN polymer products. Such motile agents would be capable of finding resources while escaping equilibrium and sustaining themselves through an internal metabolism, thus providing a working chemical model for a possible origin of life.

show abstract

Lightning production of hydrocarbons and HCN on Titan: Laboratory measurements

Cited by 46 publications

References 37 publications

Updated Review of Planetary Atmospheric Electricity

Updated Review of Planetary Atmospheric Electricity

Electrical energy sources for organic synthesis on the early earth

Metabolism and motility in prebiotic structures

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About