PCS 182 Midterm: PCS-182 Test 2 NOTES
14 Feb 2017
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Sources of heat for a moon: primary star, molten interior, radioactive decay, tidal heating. Titan (icy, methane, ethane, nitrogen: one of the 60 moons of saturn. Atmosphere: 90% n2, 1. 4 ch4 (methane), ar, c2h6 (ethane), other hydrocarbons (which only contain h and c, at(cid:373)osphe(cid:396)e is (cid:1006)(cid:1004)(cid:1004) k(cid:373) high a(cid:374)d de(cid:374)se(cid:396) tha(cid:374) ea(cid:396)th"s protects surface against solar radiation. Cassini-huygens mission, 2005: spacecraft sent to saturn system; cassini performed flybys of some moons, 2005: huygens probe dropped to titan aerial views hills and forking channels carved by liquid methane and ethane. Eruption of water, ammonia, methane instead of magma (=molten rock: liquid water better than methane & ethane for dissolving compounds and enabling a chemistry of life, titan would have an alien chemistry of life. Dissociates methane in upper atmosphere an organic smog of complex hydrocarbons (contain h and c only) such as c2h2= acetylene, c2h6: tholins: a large complex n-rich organic molecule.
