Humid Evolution of Haze in the Atmosphere of Super-Earths in the Habitable Zone.
Astrobiology
; 23(6): 723-732, 2023 06.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37229532
ABSTRACT
Abstract Photochemical hazes are expected to form and significantly contribute to the chemical and radiative balance of exoplanets with relatively moderate temperatures, possibly in the habitable zone of their host star. In the presence of humidity, haze particles might thus serve as cloud condensation nuclei and trigger the formation of water droplets. In the present work, we are interested in the chemical impact of such a close interaction between photochemical hazes and humidity on the organic content composing the hazes and on the capacity to generate organic molecules with high prebiotic potential. For this purpose, we explore experimentally the sweet spot by combining N-dominated super-Earth exoplanets in agreement with Titan's rich organic photochemistry and humid conditions expected for exoplanets in habitable zones. A logarithmic increase with time is observed for the relative abundance of oxygenated species, with O-containing molecules dominating after 1 month only. The rapidity of the process suggests that the humid evolution of N-rich organic haze provides an efficient source of molecules with high prebiotic potential.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Exobiología
/
Medio Ambiente Extraterrestre
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Astrobiology
Asunto de la revista:
BIOLOGIA
Año:
2023
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Francia