The discovery of phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus has generated a lot of interest. It is likely to have a biosignature, although some researchers have thrown cold water on the idea since it was discovered.
But, at the very least, it seems as if the discovery is real, and one of NASA’s Pioneer spacecraft discovered an elusive gas in 1978. And even though it’s not a biosignature, the authors of the new study believe we need to rethink the chemistry of Venus’s atmosphere.
A recent study found only a small amount of phosphine in Venus’s atmosphere: 20 billion parts. But he was still there. And it looks like it’s been a while since the new paper’s results.
The team of researchers asked, “Is there phosphin in the mass spectra from the clouds of Venus?” Pioneer Phosphin announced the data in a titled paper. The lead author is Rakesh Mogul, Professor of Biological Chemistry at California State Polytechnic University. Mogul Seti is also associated with the organization, and NASA’s Office of Planetary Defense. This paper is available on the pre-press site arxiv.org.
“Given the effects of single spectral line detection of phosphine (pH 3) reported by Graves et al. Researchers write at the beginning of their paper.
Pioneer Venus Multiprobe, also known as Pioneer Venus 2, or Pioneer 13, was discovered with its large Probe Neutral Mass Spectrometer (LNMS) instrument.
The name surrounding NASA’s Pioneer Program deserves some clarification. There were actually two pioneer programs.
First included in the range of spacecraft from 1958 to 1960. He sent a spacecraft to orbit the moon, to fly from the moon, and to check the inter-space space between Venus and Earth.
The second was launched between 1965 and 1992. It sent four spacecraft, two of which were sent to Venus. The two include the Pioneer Venus Project, which includes the Pioneer Venus Orbiter and the Pioneer Venus Multiprobe.
Still with us
It is the Pioneer Venus Multiprobe (PVM) and the data it collects is at the center of this study. The PVM was composed of the main spacecraft in which four different probes were performed. One was big, and three were small. On December 9, 1978, all four probes were released into the Venus atmosphere at different locations, collecting data descending from Ga, clouds.
Known as the largest of the four probes. It carries more equipment than small probes; Seven, in fact. And he brought himself down by parachute, while the other three did not. One of his instruments was a giant probe neutral mass spectrometer
When Greaves et al found phosphine in the cloud layers above Venus, the team of researchers behind the work decided to find evidence of phosphine from earlier days. Since the LNMS studied neutral gases and their masses at different altitudes, they reasoned, perhaps “seeing” phosphine in the upper cloud layers back in 1978.
After going over the data, the team wrote, “We think the LMNS data support the presence of phosphine; However, the origin of phosphine is unknown. “
It took a bit of work to come to that conclusion. After all, the data is more than 40 years old.
They start by testing the accuracy of the data to ensure, and the means to collect it. He writes, “L.N.M.S. To estimate the resolution and resolution power of NO, we first compared the measured and expected populations for CO2, SO2, N2, 40AR and 36AR, which were identified by Hoffman et al., ”He writes. “In all cases, the measured people (by spectra) and the expected population differ by <0.003 amu
“In this light, we took advantage of high-resolution data and dynamic range to uncover the presence of phosphine. We note that phosphorus compounds were not reported in the initial analysis of LSMS data. But that doesn’t mean the signal wasn’t there.
The authors say the data confirm the presence of phosphine in Venus’ atmosphere. They also list some other conclusions, which only seem particularly interesting to chemical ideology. Interested readers can check out the paper, which is a fairly short reading.
In short, the readings have initial ambiguity, indicating that PH appears3 The potential could be H2S, or hydrogen sulfide. But in the end, it’s PH3 And his brother Ph.D.2 It is part of the author’s analysis.
They also found some other inconsistent data for other chemicals in Venus’s atmosphere. Again, this is only of interest to those of us with a chemical vision, but it’s worth mentioning. They say that the presence of these chemicals is in conflict with the oxidizing atmosphere of Venus. These include methane, nitrous oxide and hydrogen peroxide.
In their conclusion, the authors write that “this re-evaluation of the mass spectra of Venus shows the discovery of atomic phosphorus as a fragmentation product from a neutral gas. Moreover, Spectra, with the fragments associated with it, shows the potential for the presence of PH3 … “
They also point out that the LNMS signal for phosphine is weak, but it matches the 20 ppb figure of the study a few weeks ago.
“When the intensity of the peaks is low, they are probably. Are consistent
દ્વારા 20 ppb abundance reported by Greaves et al. Together, the temporary assignments suggest that an abundant report of H2S (from the mass spectrum) in the Venus atmosphere may actually be PH3; “
Overall, the team thinks we may need to rethink Venus’s atmosphere and the potential for life. Not just because of the Greaves et al study, but because of their own results. “We believe this is an indication of the chemistry ministries not yet found, and / or the chemistry ministry is conducive to potential life.”
“To better understand the possibility of disability in clouds, we need to take a constant approach to exploring Venus,” he writes.
More science?
Sounds good.
