Titan's methane cycle

TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a survey of the current understanding of the atmospheric evolution and climate on Earth, on other rocky planets within our Solar System, and on planets far beyond.

TL;DR: In this paper, a comprehensive photochemistry model for exploration of the chemical composition of terrestrial exoplanet atmospheres is presented, which treats up to 800 chemical reactions, photochemical processes, dry and wet deposition, surface emission, and thermal escape of O, H, C, N, and S bearing species, as well as formation and deposition of elemental sulfur and sulfuric acid aerosols.

TL;DR: Aqueous alteration of primitive meteorites was among the earliest geological processes during the evolution of our solar system as mentioned in this paper, leading to the occurrence of methane on Titan, Triton, Pluto, and other Kuiper-belt objects.

TL;DR: Titan is the only moon with a substantial atmosphere, the only other thick N2 atmosphere besides Earth's, the site of extraordinarily complex atmospheric chemistry that far surpasses any other solar system atmosphere, and the only solar system body with stable liquid currently on its surface as mentioned in this paper.

TL;DR: The photochemistry of simple molecules containing carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen atoms in the atmosphere of Titan has been investigated using updated chemical schemes and the authors' own estimates of a number of key rate coefficients, which satisfactorily accounts for the concentrations of minor species observed by the Voyager IRIS and UVS instruments.

TL;DR: Direct atmospheric measurements from the Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer (GCMS), including altitude profiles of the constituents, isotopic ratios and trace species (including organic compounds), were reported, confirming the primary constituents were confirmed to be nitrogen and methane.

TL;DR: A detection of methane in the martian atmosphere by the Planetary Fourier Spectrometer onboard the Mars Express spacecraft is reported, and the global average methane mixing ratio is found to be 10 ± 5 parts per billion by volume.

TL;DR: Spectra and high-resolution images obtained by the Huygens Probe Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer instrument in Titan's atmosphere reveal the traces of once flowing liquid, and like Earth, the brighter highland regions show complex systems draining into flat, dark lowlands.