In his book Saturn's Moon Titan; A Workshop Owner's Manual Dr Ralph Lorenz has a graphic describing Titan's meteorological/ hydrological cycle, and also a chapter. I've attached a scan of the graphic with 3 questions. Can anyone give me a hand with my 3 queries please about methane diffusion, blue and red photons and infrared photons?

Re query 1, at the top of the diagram it looks like Methane rises into the atmosphere and then "diffuses" into other chemicals

Thanks

GIAN🙂

science age 12 (pre-GCSE)

#2 Yes. When a molecule absorbs a photon that excites it above the lowest excited state it can then emit lower-energy photons as it decays back to the ground state

Whilst I can find quite a details of Titan's atmousphere in

Thermodynamics of the Earth and Planets - Alberto Patino /douce - Cambridge University Press

I cannot find any reference to heavy hydrogen (deuterium) so

I would like to clear up a clear up what may be some misconception.

1

Deuterium is also called heavy hydrogen (as in heavy water) because it is ordinary hydrogen with an extra neutron in the nucleus. It's symbol is not H2, ( It is D) which is the hydrogen molecule made from two ordinary hydrogen atoms.

None of the compounds named in (b) and (c) are really heavy organics, they are just a bit more massive molecules than methane.

But yes, sunlight (UV) and not so strong at Saturn's distance from the Sun breaks down (dissociates) the methane into 'free radicals' (CH₃)- and H+.

These are highly reactive and so two mehtyl radicals can join together to form acetylene or one methyl and one methane molecule to form ethane, loosing an H- which joins with the other H+ to form a hydrogen molecule.

2 See swansont's answer

3

Yes I understand there is an outer haze that forms which acts in the same way as the earth's greenhouse effect by reflecteing back the longer radiation from the surface (although I'm not sure if this is now longer than infra red), whilst permitting passage of shorter wavelengths in the sunlight.

1 hour ago, swansont said:

#2 Yes. When a molecule absorbs a photon that excites it above the lowest excited state it can then emit lower-energy photons as it decays back

CHEERZ!!

1 hour ago, Gian said:

In his book Saturn's Moon Titan; A Workshop Owner's Manual Dr Ralph Lorenz has a graphic describing Titan's meteorological/ hydrological cycle, and also a chapter. I've attached a scan of the graphic with 3 questions. Can anyone give me a hand with my 3 queries please about methane diffusion, blue and red photons and infrared photons?

Re query 1, at the top of the diagram it looks like Methane rises into the atmosphere and then "diffuses" into other chemicals

Thanks

GIAN🙂

science age 12 (pre-GCSE)

Re yr 1, I would think that yes, since the temperature at the surface is below the boiling point of ethane and acetylene, these compounds will fall out of the atmosphere. As “rain”, maybe?

Re yr3, yes methane is a greenhouse gas so will absorb and re-radiate in the infra red. Nitrogen and hydrogen however will be transparent to IR, having no dipole in the molecule.

On 5/9/2025 at 7:38 PM, swansont said:

#2 Yes. When a molecule absorbs a photon that excites it above the lowest excited state it can then emit lower-energy photons as it decays back to the ground state

On 5/9/2025 at 9:05 PM, exchemist said:

Re yr 1, I would think that yes, since the temperature at the surface is below the boiling point of ethane and acetylene, these compounds will fall out of the atmosphere. As “rain”, maybe?

Re yr3, yes methane is a greenhouse gas so will absorb and re-radiate in the infra red. Nitrogen and hydrogen however will be transparent to IR, having no dipole in the molecule.

On 5/9/2025 at 8:38 PM, studiot said:

Whilst I can find quite a details of Titan's atmousphere in

Thermodynamics of the Earth and Planets - Alberto Patino /douce - Cambridge University Press

I cannot find any reference to heavy hydrogen (deuterium) so

I would like to clear up a clear up what may be some misconception.

1

Deuterium is also called heavy hydrogen (as in heavy water) because it is ordinary hydrogen with an extra neutron in the nucleus. It's symbol is not H2, ( It is D) which is the hydrogen molecule made from two ordinary hydrogen atoms.

None of the compounds named in (b) and (c) are really heavy organics, they are just a bit more massive molecules than methane.

But yes, sunlight (UV) and not so strong at Saturn's distance from the Sun breaks down (dissociates) the methane into 'free radicals' (CH₃)- and H+.

These are highly reactive and so two mehtyl radicals can join together to form acetylene or one methyl and one methane molecule to form ethane, loosing an H- which joins with the other H+ to form a hydrogen molecule.

2 See swansont's answer

3

Yes I understand there is an outer haze that forms which acts in the same way as the earth's greenhouse effect by reflecteing back the longer radiation from the surface (although I'm not sure if this is now longer than infra red), whilst permitting passage of shorter wavelengths in the sunlight.

Hi Mr Swansont, Mr Studiot and Mr Exchemist

I've done an amended version of the graphic I showed you (re the first bit) Can you all have a look and tell me if it reads ok please?

Mr Studiot thanks for the paper you sent me, can't quite fathom it at present but I'm working on it!

Thanks

GIAN 🙂XXX

science age; 12 (pre-gcse)