Titan's Complex Atmospheric Chemistry Revealed by ALMA

We present spatially-resolved maps of emission from C₂H₅CN, HNC and HC₃N in Titan's atmosphere, observed using the Atacama Large Millimeter/ submillimeter Array (ALMA) in 2012-2013. These data show previously-undetected spatial structures for the observed molecules and provide the first spectroscopic detection of etcn\ on Titan. Our maps show spatially-resolved peaks in Titan's northern and southern hemispheres, consistent with photochemical production and transport in the upper atmosphere followed by subsidence over the poles. The HNC emission peaks are asymmetric with respect to the polar axis, indicating that Titan's mesosphere may be more longitudinally variable than previously thought.