Planet atmospheres

Strobel D. F. (1982) Chemistry and evolution of Titan s atmosphere. Planet. Space Sci. 30, 839-848. 

Shindo, F. Benilan, Y. Guillemin, J.C. Chaquin, P. Jolly, A. Raulin, F. Ultraviolet and infrared spectrum of C6H2 revisited and vapor pressure curve in Titan s atmosphere. Planet. Space Sci. 2003, 51, 9-17. 

Kockarts, G., Absorption and photodissociation in the Schumann-Runge bands of molecular oxygen in the terrestrial atmosphere. Planet Space Set 21, 589, 1976. 

OwenTC (2000) On the origin of Titan s atmosphere. Planet Space Sci 48 747-752 Pillinger CT (1984) Light element stable isotopes in meteorites— from grams to picograms. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 48 2739-2766... 

Wilson EH, Atreya SK. (2003) Chemical sources of haze formation in Titan s atmosphere. Planet Space Sci. 51 1017-1033. 

Balucani, N., O. Asvany, et al. (2000). Laboratory investigation on the formation of unsaturated nitriles in Titan s atmosphere. Planet. Space ScL 48,447. 

A still different approach to multilayer adsorption considers that there is a potential field at the surface of a solid into which adsorbate molecules fall. The adsorbed layer thus resembles the atmosphere of a planet—it is most compressed at the surface of the solid and decreases in density outward. The general idea is quite old, but was first formalized by Polanyi in about 1914—see Brunauer [34]. As illustrated in Fig. XVII-12, one can draw surfaces of equipo-tential that appear as lines in a cross-sectional view of the surface region. The space between each set of equipotential surfaces corresponds to a definite volume, and there will thus be a relationship between potential U and volume 0. 

For remote sensing, spectroscopy at THz frequencies holds the key to our ability to remotely sense enviromnents as diverse as primaeval galaxies, star and planet-fonuing molecular cloud cores, comets and planetary atmospheres. 

Latin carbo, charcoal) Carbon, an element of prehistoric discovery, is very widely distributed in nature. It is found in abundance in the sun, stars, comets, and atmospheres of most planets. Carbon in the form of microscopic diamonds is found in some meteorites. 

Irradiation of ethyleneimine (341,342) with light of short wavelength ia the gas phase has been carried out direcdy and with sensitization (343—349). Photolysis products found were hydrogen, nitrogen, ethylene, ammonium, saturated hydrocarbons (methane, ethane, propane, / -butane), and the dimer of the ethyleneimino radical. The nature and the amount of the reaction products is highly dependent on the conditions used. For example, the photoproducts identified ia a fast flow photoreactor iacluded hydrocyanic acid and acetonitrile (345), ia addition to those found ia a steady state system. The reaction of hydrogen radicals with ethyleneimine results ia the formation of hydrocyanic acid ia addition to methane (350). Important processes ia the photolysis of ethyleneimine are nitrene extmsion and homolysis of the N—H bond, as suggested and simulated by ab initio SCF calculations (351). The occurrence of ethyleneimine as an iatermediate ia the photolytic formation of hydrocyanic acid from acetylene and ammonia ia the atmosphere of the planet Jupiter has been postulated (352), but is disputed (353). 

Magnetospheric plasmas are produced and heavily influenced by solar emissions and activity and by magnetic fields of the planets. Interplanetary plasmas result from solar emission processes alone. Protons in the solar wind have low densities (10—100/cm ) and temperatures below 10 to more than 10 K (1—10 eV). Their average outward kinetic energy from the sun is approximately 400 eV (58,59). The various 2ones and phenomena from the sun s visible surface to the upper atmosphere of the earth have been discussed (60—62). 

The oceans hold about 97% of the earth s water. More than 2% of the total water and over 75% of the freshwater of the world is locked up as ice ia the polar caps. Of the remaining 1% of total water that is both Hquid and fresh, some is groundwater at depths of > 300 m and therefore impractical to obtain, and only the very small difference, possibly 0.06% of the total water of this planet, is available for human use as it cycles from sea to atmosphere to land to sea. Only recently have humans been able to regulate that cycle to their advantage, and even now (ca 1997), only infinitesimally, ia some few isolated places. 

The ocean is an integral part of the climate system. It contains almost 96% of the water in the Earth s biosphere and is the dominant source of water vapour for the atmosphere. It covers 71% of the planet s surface and has a heat capacity more than four times that of the atmosphere. With more than 97% of solar radiation being absorbed that falls on the surface from incident angles less than 50" from the vertical, it is the main store of energy within the climate system. 

Thus the atmospheric component of the planet s radiation budget is strongly modulated by the indirect effects of oceanic gas and particle exchange. As will be... 

An extensive source of natural pollutants is the plants and trees of the earth. Even though these green plants play a large part in the conversion of carbon dioxide to oxygen through photosynthesis, they are still the major source of hydrocarbons on the planet. The familiar blue haze over forested areas is nearly all from the atmospheric reactions of the volatile organics... 

All of the energy that drives the atmosphere is derived from a minor star in the universe—our sun. The planet that we inhabit, earth, is 150 million km from the sun. The energy received from the sun is radiant energy—electromagnetic radiation. The electromagnetic spectrum is shown in Fig. 17-1. Although this energy is, in part, furnished to the atmosphere, it is primarily received at the earth s surface and redistributed by several... 

An increase in the concentration of atmospheric CO2 has been thought by some to expose the planet to the dangers of a greenhouse... 

Sulfur and H2SO4 detected in the atmosphere of the planet Venus by USSR Venera 8 (subsequently confirmed... 

There appears to be a correlation between the mass of the planets and the mass and composition of their atmospheres. Generally, only those planets of high mass were able to retain much of their atmospheres. Nitrogen, hydrogen, and helium are probably abundant, though not yet detected, on the heavier planets. Table 25-V also reveals a considerable range in the surface temperatures of the planets. The higher temperatures on the terrestrial planets also contributed to the loss of their atmospheres. 

The giant planets possess low surface temperatures and have atmospheres that extend several thousand miles. The markings on Jupiter, the largest planet, consist of cloud formations composed of methane containing a small amount of ammonia. The atmosphere of Jupiter absorbs the extreme red and infrared portions of the spectrum. These absorptions correspond to the absorption spectra of ammonia and methane, suggesting the presence of these gases in Jupiter s... 

The most important gas on the planet is the atmosphere, a thin layer of gas held by gravity to the surface of the Earth. Half the mass of the atmosphere lies below an altitude of 5.5 km. If we were to look from a point where the Earth appears to be the size of a basketball, the atmosphere would appear to be only 1 mm thick (Fig. 4.1). Yet this delicate layer is vital to life it shields us from harmful radiation and supplies substances needed for life, such as oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and water. 

---