Published December 16, 1983
| public
Journal Article
Ethane Ocean on Titan
Abstract
It is proposed that Saturn's satellite Titan is covered by an ocean one to several kilometers deep consisting mainly of ethane. If the ocean is in thermodynamic equilibrium with an atmosphere of 3 percent (mole fraction) methane, then its composition is roughly 70 percent ethane, 25 percent methane, and 5 percent nitrogen. Photochemical models predict that ethane is the dominant end product of methane photolysis so that the evolving ocean is both the source and sink for continuing photolysis. The coexisting atmosphere is compatible with Voyager data.
Additional Information
© 1983 American Association for the Advancement of Science. Published 16 DECEMBER, 1983; 30 June 1983; accepted 27 September 1983. We thank J. Pearl, D.M. Hunten, and C. Sagan for helpful discussions and R.E. Samuelson and F.M. Flasar for detailed reviews of the manuscript. Supported by NASA grants NSG 7376 and NAGW 185. Contribution number 3933 from the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology.Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 42492
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20131115-103723523
- NSG-7376
- NASA
- NAGW-185
- NASA
- Created
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2013-11-15Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
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2020-03-09Created from EPrint's last_modified field
- Caltech groups
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences
- Other Numbering System Name
- Caltech Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences
- Other Numbering System Identifier
- 3933