Phosphorus Chemistry on Titan
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-2011
Keywords
astrobiology, accretion, prebiotic environments
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2011.01.026
Abstract
Phosphorus is a key element in biology and acts in many critical biochemical functions. The chemistry of phosphorus in the outer Solar System has not yet been quantified, hence the astrobiological relevance of phosphorus to possible life on places like Titan is unconstrained. We evaluate phosphorus chemistry on Titan using a combination of modeling and laboratory techniques. We show that phosphorus chemistry on Titan consists of exogenous phosphates and reduced oxidation state phosphorus compounds, and accretionary phosphine. Accretionary phosphorus is shown to be delivered primarily by rocks and ices in the saturnian sub-nebula, and heating during accretion concentrates phosphine in the crust of Titan. The exogenous compounds are capable of performing biologically-relevant chemistry, however they are active only in environments with substantial liquid water, either pure, or as a mixture with NH3 or nitrile compounds. In contrast, we show that phosphine is soluble in methane and ethane on Titan’s surface, hence phosphine likely participates in the hydrocarbon cycle on Titan. The lack of mobility of phosphate compounds on Titan’s surface suggests that if life is present on Titan, it must have a fundamentally different biochemistry than does terrestrial life.
Rights Information
Was this content written or created while at USF?
Yes
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Icarus, v. 212, issue 2, p. 751-761
Scholar Commons Citation
Pasek, Matthew A.; Mousis, Oliver; and Lunine, Jonathan I., "Phosphorus Chemistry on Titan" (2011). School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications. 619.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/geo_facpub/619
