Second Chance Solar System: Titan Under a Red Sun

第二次机会太阳系：红日下的泰坦

• 批准号: 2843242
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University College London
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2843242
• 关键词: Second; Chance; Solar; System; Titan

All stars have a finite lifespan. In ~5 billion years the Sun will begin its ascent onto the red giant branch, signalling the beginning of the end, and swelling in size until it has consumed Mercury, Venus, and possibly Earth. All known life will cease to exist. As the inner solar system is transformed into a scorched wasteland, the outer planetary bodies move into the belated habitable zone. Titan is the only moon in the solar system with a considerable atmosphere, consisting of nitrogen (95%) and methane (5%). The Cassini-Huygens mission revealed that photochemical reactions in the atmosphere produce 'tholins' - complex, organic molecules thought to be the chemical precursors to life. The organic 'haze' is believed to mirror that of an early Earth, yet its formation is poorly understood. This multidisciplinary investigation will assess the future habitability of Titan as it warms. Novel planetary models will estimate when and where Titan will be most habitable, while multiphasic atmospheric simulation chambers will manufacture 'Titan tholins' to identify their metabolic properties as a microbial energy source. Definitively, this project will systematically synthesise the raw data brought back by Cassini-Huygens to summarise what has been discovered about this unique icy moon.

所有的恒星都有一个有限的寿命。在大约50亿年后，太阳将开始上升到红巨星分支，标志着终结的开始，并膨胀，直到它吞噬水星，金星，可能还有地球。所有已知的生命都将不复存在。随着内太阳系变成一片焦土，外行星体进入迟来的宜居带。土卫六是太阳系中唯一拥有相当大气层的卫星，大气层由氮气（95%）和甲烷（5%）组成。卡西尼-惠更斯使命揭示了大气中的光化学反应产生了“托林”--一种复杂的有机分子，被认为是生命的化学前体。有机的“烟雾”被认为是早期地球的镜像，但其形成却知之甚少。这项多学科的调查将评估泰坦未来的可居住性，因为它变暖。新的行星模型将估计土卫六何时何地最适合居住，而多相大气模拟室将制造“土卫六托林”，以确定它们作为微生物能源的代谢特性。该项目将系统地综合卡西尼-惠更斯号带回的原始数据，以总结关于这颗独特的冰卫星的发现。