9 research outputs found
The atmospheres of rocky exoplanets : II. Influence of surface composition on the diversity of cloud condensates
O.H. acknowledges the PhD stipend form the University of St Andrewsâ Centre for Exoplanet Science. P.W. and Ch.H. acknowledge funding from the European Union H2020-MSCA-ITN-2019 under Grant Agreement no. 860470 (CHAMELEON).Clouds are an integral part of planetary atmospheres, with most planets hosting clouds. Understanding not only the formation, but also the composition of clouds, is crucial to understand future observations. As observations of the planet's surface will remain very difficult, it is essential to link the observable high atmosphere gas and cloud composition to the surface conditions. We present a fast and simple chemical equilibrium model for the troposphere of rocky exoplanets, which is in chemical and phase equilibrium with the crust. The hydrostatic equilibrium atmosphere is built from bottom to top. In each atmospheric layer, chemical equilibrium is solved and all thermally stable condensates are removed, depleting the atmosphere above in the effected elements. These removed condensates build an upper limit for cloud formation and can be separated into high and low temperature condensates. The most important cloud condensates for 1000K >⌠Tgas >âŒÂ 400K are KCl[s], NaCl[s], FeS[s], FeS2[s], FeO[s], Fe2O3[s], and Fe3O4[s]. For Tgas âŒ< 400K H2O[l,s], C[s], NH3[s], NH4Cl[s], and NH4SH[s] are thermally stable, while for even lower temperatures of Tgas †150K CO2[s], CH4[s], NH3[s], and H2S[s] become stable. The inclusion of clouds with trace abundances results in the thermal stability of a total of 72 condensates for atmospheres with different surface conditions (300K †Tsurf †1000K and psurf = 1 bar; 100 bar). The different cloud condensates are not independent of each other, but follow sequences of condensation, which are robust against changes in crust composition, surface pressure, and surface temperature. Independent of the existence of water as a crust condensate, H2O[l,s] is a thermally stable cloud condensate for all investigated elemental abundances. However, the water cloud base depends on the hydration level of the crust. Therefore, the detection of water condensates alone does not necessarily imply stable water on the surface, even if the temperature could allow for water condensation.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe
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Sulfur isotopes as biosignatures for Mars and Europa exploration
Sulfur (S) isotopes are used to trace metabolic pathways associated with biological S-cycling in past and present environments on Earth. These pathways (sulfate reduction, sulfur disproportionation, and sulfide oxidation) can produce unique S isotope signals that provide insight into biogeochemical S-cycling. The S cycle is also relevant for extraterrestrial environments and processes. On early Mars, sulfur existed in different redox states and was involved in a large range of surface processes (e.g., volcanic, atmospheric, hydrothermal, and aqueous brines). Sulfur compounds have also been detected on Europa's icy moon surface, with the S cycle implicated in Europa's surface and ocean geochemistry. Given the well-established utility of S isotopes in providing a record for past life on Earth, S isotopes are an valuable tool for identifying biosignatures on Mars and Europa. Here, we review S isotopes as a biosignature, in light of two recent advances in understanding the S cycle in both Mars and Europa: (i) the measurements of ÎŽ34S in situ at Gale Crater and quadruple S isotopes (QSI) in Martian meteorites, and (ii) the identification of a likely exogenous origin of sulfur on Europa's surface. We discuss important considerations for unravelling QSI biosignatures in Martian environments, considering high and low sulfur environments, atmospheric S-MIF signals, and metabolic energy-limited niches. For Europa, we describe the potential for S isotopes to probe biogeochemistry, and identify key knowledge gaps to be addressed in order to unlock S isotopic tools for future life detection efforts. The resulting picture demonstrates how S isotopes will be a valuable tool for Mars Sample Return, and how future missions can focus on the search for environments where QSI signatures of microbial S-cycling processes have a greater chance of being preserved. For Europa, the first step will be to account for the S isotope composition of the various S pools, to recognise or rule out non-biologically mediated S isotope values, with a focus on experimental examination of potential S isotope signatures from exogenous sulfur sources.Thematic collection: This article is part of the Sulfur in the Earth system collection available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/sulfur-in-the-earth-syste
On the Preparation of Some Tertiary Amines Containing the 2-Furfuryl Group. Isomerization of Allyl-aryl( 2-furfuryl)-amines to N-Aryl-4H-5, 7 a-epoxyisoindolines
Six new tertiary 2-furfurylamines of the general formula
2-C 4H 30 · CH2 NRAr, w h ere R represents methyl, ethyl or ally!,
and Ar phenyl, p-tolyl or p-methoxyphenyl groups, have been prepared
by alkylation of the appropriate secondary aryl-(2-furfuryl)-
amines with alkyl or ally! halides.
It was found that the oily allyl-aryl-(2-furfuryl)-amines, on
standing at room temperature, spontaneously isomerized to crystalline
N-aryl-4H-5,7a-epoxyisoindolines, formed by a reversible intramolecular
Diels-Alder reaction
In memoriam mr. sc. Vesna BuriÄ (1943. - 2002.)
The exceptionally organic-rich rocks of the 1.98 Ga Zaonega Formation deposited in the Onega
Basin, NW Russia, have refined our understanding of Earth System evolution during the
Paleoproterozoic rise in atmospheric oxygen. These rocks were formed in vent- or seep influenced settings contemporaneous with voluminous mafic volcanism and contain strongly
13C-depleted organic matter. Here we report new isotopic (ÎŽ34S, Î33S, Î36S, ÎŽ13Corg) and
mineralogical, major element, total sulphur and organic carbon data for the upper part of the
Zaonega Formation, which was deposited shortly after the termination of the Lomagundi-Jatuli
positive carbon isotope excursion. The data were collected on a recently obtained 102 m drillcore section and show a ÎŽ13Corg shift from -38â° to -25â°. Sedimentary sulphides have ÎŽ34S values typically between +15â° and +25â° reflecting closed-system sulphur isotope behaviour driven by high rates of microbial sulphate reduction, high sulphate demand, hydrothermal
activity and hydrocarbon seepage. Four intervals record ÎŽ34S values that exceed +30â°. We
interpret these unusually 34S-enriched sulphides to be a result of limited sulfate diffusion into
pore waters due to changes in sedimentation and/or periods of basinal restriction. Additionally,
there are four negative ÎŽ34S and positive Î33S excursions that are interpreted to reflect changes
in the open/closed-system behaviour of sulphate reduction or availability of reactive iron. Our
findings highlight the influence of basinal processes in regulating sulphur isotope records and
the need for care before interpreting such signals as reflecting global conditions
Editorial:topical collection to âreading terrestrial planet evolution in isotopes and element measurementsâ
International audienc
High-frequency fluctuations in redox conditions during the latest Permian mass extinction
Possible Atmospheric Diversity of Low Mass Exoplanets â Some Central Aspects
Exoplanetary science continues to excite and surprise with its rich diversity. We discuss here some key aspects potentially influencing the range of exoplanetary terrestrial-type atmospheres which could exist in nature. We are motivated by newly emerging observations, refined approaches to address data degeneracies, improved theories for key processes affecting atmospheric evolution and a new generation of atmospheric models which couple physical processes from the deep interior through to the exosphere and consider the planetary-star system as a whole. Using the Solar System as our guide we first summarize the main processes which sculpt atmospheric evolution then discuss their potential interactions in the context of exoplanetary environments. We summarize key uncertainties and consider a diverse range of atmospheric compositions discussing their potential occurrence in an exoplanetary context