Laboratory Studies of Phosphine Chemistry Relevant to the Jovian and Saturnian Atmospheres

The photochemistry of phosphine (PH3) in the tropospheres of Saturn and Jupiter is initiated by ultraviolet (UV) radiation and then follows a cascade of chemical reactions that result in P-H hydrides as well as the condensed chromophore red phosphorus (P4). A key intermediate in this pathway is diphosphine (P2H4). The rate constants for the photodissociation of phosphine into initial phosphino radicals and consequently into formation of diphosphine are currently unavailable, limiting their applicability to observational measurements. The condensation of diphosphine to ice in the cold tropospheres is also poorly understood due to the difficulties in synthesizing, handling, and analyzing the compound. Our presentation will describe two experiments at SRI International to produce rate constants for the photochemistry initiated by UV light interacting with phosphine and diphosphine and properties related to the condensed phases of these species. One study seeks to produce property values for application in photochemical and cloud/haze models. Specifically, we extend the measured vapor pressure curve for diphosphine to temperatures relevant to temperatures of Saturn and Jupiter. A sophisticated vapor pressure cell has been constructed and tested and is coupled to a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and mass spectrometer for high-fidelity species diagnostics. A companion study investigates phosphine photochemistry to measure the rate constants of key intermediate species related to the loss of PH3 and the formation of P2H4. The experiments employ laser photolysis at 193 nm followed by time-resolved mid-IR laser-based species detection of reactants, and the products provide basic chemical kinetic data useful for interpreting phosphine photochemistry in planetary atmospheres. These two studies are intended to supply basic physical measurements to aid in the interpretation of outer planet atmospheric observations. For both studies, we will present our latest laboratory results and discuss their atmospheric implications.