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[67.01] Complex refractive indices of tholins produced from various initial gas mixtures and formation pressures: Implications for Titan, the early Earth, and the outer solar system bodies

H. Imanaka, B.N. Khare (NASA Ames Research Center/SETI Institute), C.P. McKay, D.P. Cruikshank (NASA Ames Research Center)

Organic materials may exist as haze layers in the atmospheres of Titan and the early Earth and as dark coloring agents on icy satellite surfaces. Khare et al. (1984) measured the complex refractive indices of Titan tholin produced from N₂/CH₄ (90/10) gas mixture, which has been used to model the optical properties of organic materials in the outer solar system. However, the optical properties of tholin may depend on experimental conditions. Therefore, determinations of the complex refractive indices of tholins at various experimental conditions are important. Figure shows the complex refractive indices (0.185 - 25 \mu m) of Titan tholins generated by cold plasma in N₂/CH₄ (90/10) gas mixture at pressures of 0.26 hPa and 1.6 hPa. Optical properties strongly depend on formation pressures, and it firstly reveals several overtone bands in near-IR regions. These data are particularly useful in modeling of atmospheric radiative transfer and surface spectra of icy satellite surfaces.

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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 37 #3
© 2004. The American Astronomical Soceity.