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Tholin Analysis
What are Tholins?
Tholins are reddish-brown powders or tarry residues made by irradiation (UV, energetic electrons) of N2/CH4
mixtures, expected to be good analogues of aerosols produced on Titan, Saturn's largest moon. We are currently performing a detailed chemical analysis of tholin materials, utilizing NMR, IR and mass spectrometry. Tetraalkylammonium salts have been identified (left) and various polymeric components of the mixture are being characterized.
Experimental Setup
A spark-discharge reactor has been built, enabling us to produce tholin material for analysis. The reactor will also be used to study the temperature and pressure dependence of the reaction.
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