1
36
Photochemistry
of
Planetary
Atmospheres
(e)
Photochemical Products
Free
electrons, protons,
H3
+
and H
atoms
are
readily produced
in the
thermospheres
of
the
giant planets.
EUV flux
from
the sun and
energetic particles precipitated
from
the
magnetosphere
are the
principal energy sources.
The
€2
hydrocarbons,
C2He,
C2H4,
and
C2H2,
are
obviously disequilibrium products generated
by the
photochemistry
of
CUt
in the
upper atmosphere (mesosphere)
of the
giant planets. More complex
hydrocarbons
are
also produced, especially
in the
polar region with energy derived
from
magnetospheric particles. Since this topic constitutes
the
principal theme
of
this
chapter,
we
defer
the
discussion
to
sections
5.2-5.6.
(f)
Products
of Ion
Chemistry
The
polar regions
of
Jupiter contain enhanced concentrations
of
H3
+
and
complex
hydrocarbons
such
as
methyl acetylene (CH3C2H)
and
benzene
(CeHe).
This
may be
the
result
of an
enhanced energy source associated
with
the
observed aurorae. This
topic will
be
deferred
to
section
5.2.3.
(g)
Isotopomers
A
large number
of
isotopomers have been measured
in the
atmosphere
of the
giant
planets.
The
most interesting case
is the
trend
in
D/H
as
deduced
from
HD and
CHsD
observations,
as
discussed
in
section
4.10.1.
The
inferred
isotopic
ratios
I2
C/
13
C
and
15
N/
14
N
are
consistent
with
cosmic abundances.
The
only exception
is the
ratio
C2H2/
13
C2H2
with
value equal
to
about
10 for
Jupiter, which defies explanation.
There
may
be
large errors associated
with
this work.
The
above brief survey provides
an
overview
of the
observed composition
of the
atmospheres
of the
giant planets
as
summarized
in
tables
5.2-5.4.
The
purpose
is to
provide
a
broader framework
in
which photochemistry plays
a
part.
As we
shall see,
photochemistry
is but one
link
in the
overall chemical cycles
of the
elements. Having
cast
the
problem
in its
proper
context,
we now
discuss
the
quantitative
aspects
of
modeling.
5.1.3
The
One-Dimensional
Model
The
fundamental
quantity
in
atmospheric chemistry
is the
number density,
n\
(molecules/
cm
3
),
of
species
i. In
general
n,
is a
function
of
space
(in
three dimensions)
and
time.
It
is
convenient
to
define
a
dimensionless
quantity,
the
mole fraction
(or
mixing ratio),
of
species
i
:
The
equation that governs
the
time rate
of
change
of the
number density
of
species
i
is the
continuity equation:
where
fa is the flux,
P,-
is the
chemical production rate,
and
L/
is the
chemical loss
rate.
The
units
of flux are
molecules
cm~
2
s"
1
;
P,-
and
L/
have
units
of
molecules