Detection of new hydrocarbons in Uranusʹ atmosphere by infrared spectroscopy

Ethane (C2H6), methylacetylene (CH3C2H or C3H4) and diacetylene (C4H2) have been discovered in Spitzer 10–20 μm spectra of Uranus, with 0.1-mbar volume mixing ratios of ( 1.0 ± 0.1 ) × 10 −8 , ( 2.5 ± 0.3 ) × 10 −10 , and ( 1.6 ± 0.2 ) × 10 −10 , respectively. These hydrocarbons complement previously detected methane (CH4) and acetylene (C2H2). Carbon dioxide (CO2) was also detected at the 7 - σ level with a 0.1-mbar volume mixing ratio of ( 4 ± 0.5 ) × 10 −11 . Although the reactions producing hydrocarbons in the atmospheres of giant planets start from radicals, the methyl radical (CH3) was not found in the spectra, implying much lower abundances than in the atmospheres of Saturn or Neptune where it has been detected. This finding underlines the fact that Uranusʹ atmosphere occupies a special position among the giant planets, and our results shed light on the chemical reactions happening in the absence of a substantial internal energy source.