Has Cassini found a universal driver for prebiotic chemistry at Titan?

An important type of molecule that helps produce complex organic material has been detected within Titan's hazy upper atmosphere by a UCL-led team as part of the international Cassini-Huygens mission. In the study, published in Astrophysical Journal Letters , scientists identified negatively charged molecules called 'carbon chain anions' in the atmosphere of Titan, Saturn's largest moon. These linear molecules are understood to be building blocks towards more complex molecules, and may have acted as the basis for the earliest forms of life on Earth. The team say the discovery of the negatively charged carbon chain anions is surprising because they are highly reactive and should not last long in Titan's atmosphere before combining with other materials. Their discovery there is completely reshaping current understanding of the hazy moon's atmosphere. The detections were made using Cassini's plasma spectrometer, called CAPS, as Cassini flew through Titan's upper atmosphere, 950-1300 km above the surface. Interestingly, the data show that the carbon chains become depleted closer to the moon, while precursors to larger aerosol molecules undergo rapid growth.