Interpretation of the carbon abundance in Saturn measured by Cassini

Spectral observations of Saturn from the far infrared spectrometer aboard the Cassini spacecraft [Flasar, F.M., et al., 2005. Temperatures, winds, and composition in the Saturnian system. Science 307, 1247-1251] have revealed that the C/H ratio in the planet is in fact about twice higher than previously derived from ground based observations and in agreement with the C/H value derived from. Voyager IRIS by Courtin et al. [1984. The composition of Saturn's atmosphere at northern temperate latitudes from Voyager IRIS spectra - NH3, PH3, C2H2, C2H6, CH3D CH4, and the Saturnian D/H isotopic ratio. Astrophys. J. 287, 899-916]. The implications of this measurement are reanalyzed in the present report on the basis that volatiles observed in cometary atmospheres, namely CO2, CH4, NH3 and H2S may have been trapped as solids in the feeding zone of the planet. CH4 and H2S may have been in the form of clathrate hydrates while CO2 presumably condensed in the cooling solar nebula. Carbon may also have been incorporated in organics. Conditions of temperature and pressure ease the hydratation of NH3. Such icy grains were included in planetesimals which subsequently collapsed into the hydrogen envelope of the planet, then resulting in C, N and S enrichments with respect to the solar abundance. Our calculations are consistent, within error bars, with observed elemental abundances on Saturn provided that the carbon trapped in planetesimals was mainly in the form of CH4 clathrate and CO2 ice (and maybe as organics) while nitrogen was in the form of NH3 hydrate. Our approach has implications on the possible pattern of noble gases in Saturn, since we predict that contrary to what is observed in Jupiter, Ar and Kr should be in solar abundance while Xe might be strongly oversolar. The only way to verify this scenario is to send a probe making in situ mass spectrometer measurements. Our scenario also predicts that the N-14/N-15 ratio should be somewhat smaller in Saturn than measured in Jupiter by Galileo. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.