Abstract
The photochemistries of the H2-He atmospheres of the gas giants Jupiter, Saturn and ice giants Uranus and Neptune and Titan’s mildly reducing N2 atmosphere are reviewed in terms of general chemical and physical principles. The thermochemical furnace regions in the deep atmospheres and the photochemical regions of the giant planets are coupled by vertical mixing to ensure efficient recyling of photochemical products. On Titan, mass loss of hydrogen ensures photochemical evolution of methane into less saturated hydrocarbons. A summary discussion of major dissociation paths and essential chemical reactions is given. The chapter ends with a overview of vertical transport processes in planetary atmospheres.
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Strobel, D.F. (2005). Photochemistry in Outer Solar System Atmospheres. In: Encrenaz, T., Kallenbach, R., Owen, T.C., Sotin, C. (eds) The Outer Planets and their Moons. Space Sciences Series of ISSI, vol 19. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4038-5_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4038-5_10
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