80NSSC20K1389

TITAN, THE LARGEST MOON OF SATURN, IS THE ONLY BODY IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM ASIDE FROM EARTH WITH STABLE LIQUID ON ITS SURFACE. ALTHOUGH THE CASSINI-HUYGENS MISSION HAS PROVIDED INVALUABLE INSIGHT INTO THE LAKES AND SEAS AT TITAN S POLES MUCH IS LEFT TO BE EXPLORED. ONE PARTICULAR ASPECT IS GETTING A BETTER CONSTRAINT ON THE COMPOSITIONS. CURRENT STUDIES PROVIDE RANGES FOR METHANE, ETHANE, AND NITROGEN, BUT WITH METHANE PHOTOCHEMICAL PROCESSES OCCURRING IN THE ATMOSPHERE IT IS THOUGHT THAT OTHER HYDROCARBONS RESIDE IN THE LAKES AND SEAS AS WELL. ASIDE FROM ETHANE, THE MOST COMMON BY-PRODUCTS OF THE ONGOING PHOTOCHEMISTRY ARE PROPANE, ETHYLENE, AND ACETYLENE. WITH THIS IN MIND THE PROPOSED RESEARCH AIMS TO USE RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE QUANTITY IN WHICH PROPANE, ETHYLENE, AND ACETYLENE MIGHT BE FOUND IN THE LAKES AS WELL AS THE POSSIBLE IMPLICATIONS TO THE IMMEDIATELY SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENTS. AT TITAN SURFACE CONDITIONS PROPANE IS A LIQUID WHEREAS ETHYLENE AND ACETYLENE ARE SOLID. THAT SAID, WE INTEND TO CARRY OUT THE RESEARCH BY PROBING THE PHASE TRANSITIONS OF THREE SYSTEMS: 1) NITROGEN-METHANE-ETHANE-PROPANE, 2) NITROGEN-METHANE-ETHANE-PROPANE-ETHYLENE, 3) NITROGEN-METHANE-ETHANE-PROPANE-ACETYLENE ALL AT 1.5 BAR. THREE SETS OF MIXING RATIOS WILL BE USED FOR THE NITROGEN-METHANE-ETHANE SYSTEM AND WILL BE BASED ON QUANTITIES FOUND BY MASTROGIUSEPPE ET AL. (2019) FOR THE NORTH POLAR LAKES. WHILE KEEPING THE MIXING RATIOS OF THE TERNARY SYSTEM PROPORTIONAL, WE WILL ADD A RANGE OF 0% TO 20% OF PROPANE AND RECORD HOW THE LIQUIDUS AND SOLIDUS ARE AFFECTED WITH THE ADDITION. NOTING MIXING RATIOS OF INTEREST, WE WILL THEN ADD 0% TO 20% OF ETHYLENE AND THEN ACETYLENE RESPECTIVELY TO THE NITROGEN-METHANE-ETHANE-PROPANE SYSTEM. BY THE END OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT, WE AIM TO CONSTRAIN THE TEMPERATURES AT WHICH THE MIXTURES ARE FULLY LIQUID, FULLY SOLID, AND A COMBINATION OF THE TWO. THIS WILL ALSO BE PAIRED WITH IDENTIFYING THE RATIOS OF THE COMPONENTS, ESPECIALLY IN THE CASE WHEN BOTH LIQUID AND SOLID MATERIAL ARE PRESENT. IN DOING THIS, WE WILL EXPECT TO GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMPOSITION OF THE LIQUID PORTION OF THE LAKES IN ADDITION TO WHAT MAY BE FOUND ON THE LAKE FLOORS. FURTHER ANALYSIS IS ALSO ANTICIPATED TO CLARIFY THE COMPOSITION AND THE IMPACT TO THE GEOLOGY IMMEDIATELY SURROUNDING THE LAKES.

Northern Arizona University

Shared Services Center (NSSC) [NASA]

Not Reported

AR21 - R&D- Space: Science/Applications (Basic Research)

Flagstaff, AZ 86011 United States

Other

None

Full And Open Competition

None

Amendment Since initial award the Potential End Date has been extended from 08/31/23 to 08/31/24.