The purpose of the ATTACK International Team is to significantly enhance the scientific understanding of the chemistry in Titan’s dense nitrogen-dominated atmosphere. An icy moon with unique physical processes, Titan offers major opportunities to study prebiotic chemistry. Titan was explored by the Cassini-Huygens mission (2004-2017), is currently observed with JWST and ground based observatories (e.g. ALMA, IRTF, etc), and will be investigated in the near future by the Dragonfly in situ mission to launch in 2028.
The ATTACK core team includes 12 specialists at different career levels, originating from 7 countries covering expertise in astronomical observations, theoretical and experimental chemistry, and modelling of Titan’s atmosphere and surface. Our goal is to investigate the formation of complex species of astrobiological interest in Titan’s atmosphere and their potential detectability, as well as the role of catalytic processes on the surface of haze particles. Our timely results will assist both in the interpretation of existing data and in the preparation of future measurements.
Image: View of Titan from the Huygens descent probe. Credit: NASA/JPL, University of Arizona