A CROSSED MOLECULAR BEAMS STUDY ON THE FORMATION OF THE EXOTIC CYANOETHYNYL RADICAL IN TITAN'S ATMOSPHERE
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States)
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199 (United States)
- Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States)
- Research Center for Environmental Changes, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan (China)
The reaction of the dicarbon molecule (C{sub 2}) in its {sup 1}{sigma}{sub g} {sup +} electronic ground state with hydrogen cyanide HCN(X{sup 1}{sigma}{sup +}) is investigated in a crossed molecular beam setup to untangle the formation of the cyanoethynyl radical CCCN(X{sup 2}{sigma}{sup +}) in hydrocarbon-rich atmospheres of planets and their moons such as Titan. Combined with electronic structure and rate theory calculations, we show that this elementary reaction is rapid, has no entrance barriers, and yields CCCN via successive rearrangements of the initial HC{sub 3}N collision complex to the cyanoacetylene intermediate (HCCCN) followed by unimolecular decomposition of the latter without exit barrier. New photochemical models imply that this radical could serve as a key building block to form more complex molecules as observed in situ by the Cassini spacecraft, ultimately leading to organic aerosol particles, which make up the orange-brownish haze layers in Titan's atmosphere.
- OSTI ID:
- 21319516
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 701, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/701/2/1797; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
INFRARED SPECTRA AND OPTICAL CONSTANTS OF NITRILE ICES RELEVANT TO TITAN's ATMOSPHERE
Low-temperature formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Titan’s atmosphere