ASTID

Fiber Optic Probe for Chemical Characterization of Titan's Lakes

PI: Robert Hodyss

We will build a proof of concept fiber optic probe for absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy of solutes in liquid methane/ethane mixtures, as a means of performing chemical analysis of Titan’s lakes. The next mission to Titan will probably have access to the surface liquids (at surface temperatures), and characterization of their composition will be a priority. Once there, relatively simple instrumentation can determine the components of those lakes, including their solutes. An instrument of the kind proposed here will be capable of analyzing the chemical composition of minor components of Titan’s lakes. Our approach will enable these analyses in a rugged, lightweight, low-power instrument.

Development of the fiber optic instrument described here will provide significant benefits for any in situ Titan mission. Chemical characterization of the dissolved species present in Titan’s lakes would be cast light on a number of questions relating to Titan’s surface and atmosphere. Erosion, the extent of pluvial transport of organics, and partitioning of photochemical products between atmosphere and liquid will all leave traces in the chemical composition of the lakes. By using a fiber optic, spectroscopic system we will greatly reduce the complexity of making direct, accurate and rapid determinations of organic solutes in the lakes. This ability will allow for analysis lake samples with little or no sample manipulation and no sample preparation, and with a reduced mechanical and logistical complexity.

All of these factors make the proposed instrument an ideal candidate for inclusion into the Titan Saturn System Mission (TSSM). The TSSM concept includes a Lake Lander in situ element, one of whose tasks is the chemical analysis of the lake liquid. Our fiber optic probe would be an ideal addition to this element.