Tholins LATMOS 95

Matter

Database

Experimentalists

Matter origin

Preparation: raw
Method: Tholins formation by plasma discharge in a 95%-N2:5%-CH4 gas mixture
Phase type: solid
Component type (group): synthesized carbonaceous matter (plasma product)

Texture

compact

Grain sizes

Grains	Size min	Size max	Size median	Size width	Size mass fraction	Grain shape
#1			430.0 $nm$	70.0 $nm$	1.0	spherical

Size method

grain size distribution of estimated by measuring the apparent diameter of tholins particles, averaged over 200 particles using SEM images

Comments: Co-polymeric insaturated structure rich in nitrogen. Data from Vuitton et al. 2010. Relative error typically 1%. O comes from residual $O_2$ during synthesis and oxidation/adsorption during sample collection.

Number

Mode of mixing

single material

Materials

	Name	Arrangement	Mass (g)	Mass fraction	Abundance comments
	Tholins granular 95%-N2:5%-CH4			1.0

Title

Tholins formation by plasma discharge in a 95%-N2:5%-CH4 gas mixture

Matter

Tholins LATMOS 95%-N2:5%-CH4 (this matter)

Processing steps

Step	Date	Type	Process	Changes
#1	2018-03-16	pressure	Pumping the heated chamber down to $1.5 10^{-6}$ mbar
#2	2018-03-16	fluid physical	Injection in the PAMPRE chamber of 55 sccm of $N_2:CH_4$ gas in a 95%:5% ratio (using pure N2, N2:CH4 = 90%:10% gas bottles (Air Liquide) with impurities limits: H2O < 3 ppm, O2 < 2 ppm et CxHy < 0.5 ppm), resulting in a pressure of $0.9 \pm 0.1$ mbar
#3	2018-03-16	irradiation	irradiation using a RF CCP Plasma at 13.56 MHz and 30 W injected power of the $N_2$:$CH_4$=95%:5% gas mixture at ambient temperature and 0.9 mbar	formation of tholins grains
#4	2018-03-20	no	Collecting tholins grains from the reactor (and thus exposing them to ambient air)	No changes observed macroscopically

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