Energy Yield of Lightning Discharge Products in a Titan's Simulated Troposphere
A. Romero, R. Navarro-González (National University of Mexico)
Lightning in the laboratory was simulated by focusing a high-power Nd-YAG laser pulse in a 10% CH4 in nitrogen mixture at 500 Torr and 293 K. The main organic gases produced by laser-induced plasma are unsaturated hydrocarbons and nitriles. The energy deposited into the system was measured by a laser optical power meter. We report here energy yields of various organic compounds at a low energy deposition. This work was supported by grants from the National Council of Science and Technology of Mexico (CONACyT -1843-OE9211, -F323E-9211 and, -4282-E9406), and the National Autonomous University of Mexico (DGAPA -IN100393, and -IN102796). One of us (A.R.) acknowledges a travel grant from Facultad de Quimica UNAM.