Rapid Aggregation and Dissolution of Organic Aerosols in Liquid Methane on Titan

Complex organic aerosols in the upper atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan reach troposphere and surface, where a methane (CH4)-based hydrological cycle occur. Previous studies have assumed no interactions between liquid CH4, although dissolution low-molecular-weight photochemical products CH4 has been considered. Here we report experimental results soaking laboratory analog (so-called tholin) Titan's at 93–98 K for several hours then evaporating liquid, simulating wet–dry cycling on Titan. After cycling, residual tholin particles form aggregates through cementation. Solid evaporitic deposits formed by evaporation interacted contain nitrogen-bearing aromatics, suggesting selective aromatics. Our suggest that or high-molecular-weight compounds adsorbed them partly dissolve Titan, even during short-term wetting events, promoting growth to dune via aggregation providing aromatics evaporites.