WHO'S ON MARS? (continued)

To make ammonia, the triple bond of N2 must be broken. Without a catalyst, the temperature at which this happens vastly higher than the temperature required to dissociate ammonia and H2. A catalyst makes it possible to decouple N2 (on the catalyst surface) at a temperature below the dissociation temperature of ammonia. The very high pressure drives the reaction forward. Otherwise, it doesn't happen. If you have a molecular cloud of ammonia, it must have originated within hot fume of iron oxide. An EPH could create an ample supply of "vaporized" iron oxide. Ammonia does not form at low pressure, low temperature, no solid catalyst.

Gregg Wilson

Gregg, What about doing the required work by photo-chemical reactions if that ever was explored? The photo reactions work at low pressure and low temps as far as I know.(that is a limited range). The photons needed are UV which is available in space.

High frequency light could break apart molecular nitrogen but it would also break apart ammonia much more readily. Only high pressure will force the reaction to go forward. Kinetics (catalyst) is the subject of how fast the reaction will proceed. But thermodynamics determines whether the reaction will progress. The hottest chemical torch is a nitrogen torch. High voltage breaks apart N2. The atomic N then recombines to N2 at the torch tip to release the high temperature elysium which vaporises the metal that you are cutting.

You cannot arrive at a molecular cloud of ammonia if your starting point is a low pressure cloud of N2 and H2.

Gregg Wilson

We don't know the starting point of molecular clouds and even the chemical makeup is not well know. If you are correct maybe ammonia is not found in clouds in space. There are people who study clouds so I'll see if I can get any more info and thanks for the info.

Gregg, Do you know of any nook or nitch in the biosphere where molecular nitrogen is processed? The ion of nitrogen circulates through the biosphere as you say but N2 seems not to do so.

Jim

I am unaware of any biological mechanism for breaking apart molecular nitrogen (ignorance on my part). The beginning point is most likely lightning, which produces a "trace" level of NOx. This is taken in by plants and can be converted over to organic nitrogen, which can break down to ammonia. There is NOx in the Martian atmosphere, but very little nitrogen.

A metal catalyst allows the N2 to "relax" and open apart. This enables hydrogen to bond with it. The whole matter is an issue of geometry.


Gregg Wilson