General Seminar: Dr. Kelly Miller, SWRI
Abstract: Titan stands out amongst satellites in our solar system as a strangely Earth-like world, including an active precipitation cycle with liquid present at the surface. It is also noteworthy for the abundant organics coating the surface, including the equatorial dunes. Titan’s thick, nitrogen-dominated atmosphere is a critical driver of the present-day state of this planetary system, stabilizing liquid hydrocarbons, and producing organics via photochemistry. In this presentation, I will discuss the origin of Titan’s atmospheric volatiles, including nitrogen, methane, and argon. I will review evidence that supports an atmospheric contribution of as much as 50% from complex organic material similar to insoluble organic matter found in chondrites, present experimental work to test this hypothesis, and discuss broader implications for Titan’s interior and habitability.
Description
As a part of EPL's General Seminar Series, Dr. Kelly Miller of SWRI will present "Messages from the Deep: How Titan’s Atmosphere Constrains Interior Conditions". The seminar will be both in the Greenewalt Lecture Hall and by Zoom.
After the seminar, she will meet with scientists and postdocs in their offices. Please use this form to sign up for a meeting with her.
Abstract:
Titan stands out amongst satellites in our solar system as a strangely Earth-like world, including an active precipitation cycle with liquid present at the surface. It is also noteworthy for the abundant organics coating the surface, including the equatorial dunes. Titan’s thick, nitrogen-dominated atmosphere is a critical driver of the present-day state of this planetary system, stabilizing liquid hydrocarbons, and producing organics via photochemistry. In this presentation, I will discuss the origin of Titan’s atmospheric volatiles, including nitrogen, methane, and argon. I will review evidence that supports an atmospheric contribution of as much as 50% from complex organic material similar to insoluble organic matter found in chondrites, present experimental work to test this hypothesis, and discuss broader implications for Titan’s interior and habitability.