Atomic and molecular hydrogen budget in Titan’s atmosphere

Using a one-dimensional model, we investigate the hydrogen budget and escape to space in Titan’s atmosphere. Our goal is to study in detail the distributions and fluxes of atomic and molecular hydrogen in the model, while identifying sources of qualitative and quantitative uncertainties. Our study confirms that the escape of atomic and molecular hydrogen to space is limited by the diffusion through the homopause level. The H distribution and flux inside the atmosphere are very sensitive to the eddy diffusion coefficient used above altitude 600 km. We chose a high value of this coefficient 1 108 cm2 s1 and a homopause level around altitude 900 km. We find that H flows down significantly from the production region above 500 km to the region [300–500] km, where it recombines into H2. Production of both H and H2 also occurs in the stratosphere, mostly from photodissociation of acetylene. The only available observational data to be compared are the escape rate of H deduced from Pioneer 11 and IUE observations of the H torus 1–3 109 cm2 s1 and the latest retrieved value of the H2 mole fraction in the stratosphere: (1.1 0.1) 103. Our results for both of these values are at least 50–100 % higher, though the uncertainties within the chemical schemes and other aspects of the model are large. The chemical conversion from H to H2 is essentially done through catalytic cycles using acetylene and diacetylene. We have studied the role of this diacetylene cycle, for which the associated reaction rates are poorly known. We find that it mostly affects C4 species and benzene in the lower atmosphere, rather than the H profile and the hydrogen budget. We have introduced the heterogenous recombination of hydrogen on the surface of aerosol particles in the stratosphere, and this appears to be a significant process, comparable to the chemical processes. It has a major influence on the H distribution