Titan

Question 1

What moon is titan

Answer 1

of saturn

Question 2

what is so unique about titan

Answer 2

• largest moon and only one with an atmosphere in the solar system

Question 3

What is its atmosphere like

Answer 3

thick- 1.5 bars which is 50% more atmospheric pressure than earth
- thick methane-rich atmosphere and lakes of liquid methane (large size means it is probably a sealed ocean
- no contact between ocean and silicate core

Question 4

How could CHNOPS be delivered to the ocean

Answer 4

• convection or local melting in high pressure ice
• maybe not fully sealed

Question 5

How do the properties of ice on titan work- (in sub-surface oceans)

Answer 5

• ice below sub-surface ocean upwells
• salt saturated layer impacts as it input reduces the freezing temperature ORRRR
• increases the unit cell volume of ice VI by 1 percent which makes it boyant

Question 6

what is the frost line in the solar system

Answer 6

• after mars
• where volatiles are expected to condense

Question 7

what organic features does titan have

Answer 7

• cold temperature means liquid water lacking
• nitrogen-rich atmosphere, like Earth
• liquid methane cycle (like earths water cycle)
• therefore methane clouds

Question 8

what aids reactions in titans upper atmosphere

Answer 8

• sunlight and energetic particles
• these can produce larger organic compounds -
  -dunes and drift downward to form hazes
• ## potential of earth to have undergone similiar processes

Question 9

Whats an example of a mission that went to Titan

Answer 9

• ESA Huygens lander of 2005

Question 10

Hypothesis for Life on titan and evidence

Answer 10

• cassini space probe revealed huge lakes
• life organic-rich but locked in a frozen world

Question 11

what carbon based life feasible on titan

Answer 11

• polymers would mainly be
• these are all stable in water which is why

Question 12

what molecule may be possible to make life on titan and why

Answer 12

• AZOTOZOMES
• acrylonitrile is a possible molecule which could form cell membranes
• present in titans atmosphere
• small polar and can dissolve in liquid methane

Question 13

aztozomes are needed, but why on their own would they not suffice

Answer 13

However, there is very little abundance of oxygen and Phosphorus on titan, and so another molecule would have to be responsible for cell membrane formation.

Question 14

what would be a significant problem for life on titan

Answer 14

• nutrients
• Oxygen is only found on the surface as water
• inorganic elements would be a struggle to find as life on earth can get through water/rock or solubility on water

Question 15

how could titan have a metabolism

Answer 15

• photochemically produced organis would if reacted with atmospheric co2
• example of this is the hydrogenation of acetylene which produces more energy than needed for the methanogen growth on earth
• reactions are kinetically inhibiteddue to the temperature on titan
• therefore catalytic enzymes for biology
• also readily soluble in ethane and methane