| Name | OT1_lfletche_1 |
| Title | Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Sulphur Chemistry in Saturn.s Atmosphere: Internal and External Origins for HCN, HCP and CS |
| URL | http://archives.esac.esa.int/hsa/whsa-tap-server/data?retrieval_type=OBSERVATION&observation_id=1342238519&instrument_name=HIFI&product_level=LEVEL0&compress=true |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-48ww7ue |
| Author | fletcher, l. n. |
| Description | Our understanding of some of the fundamental physiochemical processes at work within Saturns gaseous atmosphere is presently limited by the difficulties associated with detection of a number of atmospheric species. Based on our new understanding of Saturns bulk composition and chemistry from the Cassini mission, Herschel/HIFI offers an unprecedented opportunity to detect these species for the first time, and to place constraints on their origins. Radiative transfer calculations have been used in tandem with chemical modelling to select optimal transitions of HCN, HCP and CS for study by HIFI. These species have never been detected before, but are expected to be important secondary repositories for nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur in Saturns atmosphere. Furthermore, the superb spectral resolution of heterodyne spectroscopy is ideal for distinguishing between broad tropospheric absorptions and narrow stratospheric emissions, allowing us to distinguish between internal and external origins for each species. Tropospheric abundances will be compared to expectations from state of the art thermochemical and photochemical models, in addition to predictions of lightning-induced shock chemistry. Stratospheric abundances will be interpreted in terms of external supply of N, P and S-bearing materials, either from large asteroidal/cometary impacts (where shock chemistry in impact plumes is also important) or influx of material from Enceladus, the rings or interplanetary dust particles. As a result, the HIFI search for the first signatures of Saturns HCN, HCP and CS abundances will serve as vital constraints on internal chemistry and the coupling between Saturns cold atmosphere and external environment, revealing the fundamental processes at work in the cold outer reaches of our Solar System. |
| Publication | |
| Instrument | HIFI_HifiPoint_dbs |
| Temporal Coverage | 2012-01-31T14:00:35Z/2012-01-31T21:58:17Z |
| Version | SPG v14.1.0 |
| Mission Description | Herschel was launched on 14 May 2009! It is the fourth 'cornerstone' mission in the ESA science programme. With a 3.5 m Cassegrain telescope it is the largest space telescope ever launched. It is performing photometry and spectroscopy in approximately the 55-671 µm range, bridging the gap between earlier infrared space missions and groundbased facilities. |
| Creator Contact | https://support.cosmos.esa.int/h®erschel/ |
| Date Published | 2012-07-31T21:28:36Z |
| Publisher And Registrant | European Space Agency |
| Credit Guidelines | European Space Agency, fletcher, l. n., 2012, OT1_lfletche_1, SPG v14.1.0, European Space Agency, https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-48ww7ue |