Kinetic study of a N-2-CH4 afterglow plasma for production of N-containing hydrocarbon species of Titan's atmosphere

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2010

Authors

Carlos Daniel Diogo Matias Pintassilgo (Author) FEUP; Loureiro, J (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Advances in Space Research

Vol. 46 No. 5

Pages: 657-671

ISSN: 0273-1177

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 8 Citations

Scopus - 5 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-003-32Y

DOI: 10.1016/j.asr.2010.04.027

Abstract (EN): We present the results from a self-consistent kinetic model simulating the afterglow of a flowing microwave discharge in pure N-2 in which CH4 is introduced in the post-discharge. The simulation is carried out for a discharge operating at 433 MHz, in a tube of 1.9 cm inner radius, at the pressure range 26.6-133 Pa. In the post-discharge the CH4 is primarily dissociated into CH3 and CH2 due to collisions with the metastables N-2(A(3)Sigma(+)(u)) and N-2(a'(t3)Sigma(-)(u)) coming from the discharge, while HCN is obtained from collisions of CH3 and CH2 with N(S-4) atoms. Our calculations show that numerous species existing in Titan's atmosphere are then formed as a result of a complex interplay kinetics. The time-evolution of the species is investigated along the afterglow as well as the possibility of these species being precursors to the formation of organic aerosols.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 15