Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 1 July 1983:
Vol. 221. no. 4605, pp. 53 - 55
DOI: 10.1126/science.221.4605.53
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Articles

Is Titan Wet or Dry?

VON R. ESHLEMAN 1, GUNNAR F. LINDAL 2, and G. LEONARD TYLER 3

1 Space, Telecommunications, and Radioscience Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305
2 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena 91109
3 Space, Telecommunications, and Radioscience Laboratory, Stanford University

Titan's dense and cold nitrogen atmosphere contains a small amount of methane under conditions at least approaching those at which one or both constituents would condense. The possibility of methane and nitrogen rain clouds and global methane oceans has been discussed widely. From specific features of radio occultation and other Voyager results, however, it is concluded that nitrogen does not condense on Titan and that Titan has neither global methane oceans nor a global cloud of liquid methane droplets. Certain results indirectly support the conjecture that methane does not condense at any location. However, other considerations favor a methane ice haze high in the troposphere, and liquid and solid methane might exist on the surface and as low clouds at polar latitudes.

Submitted on November 9, 1982
Accepted on March 1, 1983


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Detection of Daily Clouds on Titan.
C. A. Griffith, J. L. Hall, and T. R. Geballe (2000)
Science 290, 509-513
   Abstract »    Full Text »
Radar Reflectivity of Titan.
D. O. Muhleman, D. O. Muhleman, A. W. Grossman, B. J. Butler, and M. A. Slade (1990)
Science 248, 975-980
   Abstract »    PDF »
Probing Titan's Surface.
V. R. Eshleman, V. R. ESHLEMAN, G. L. TYLER, R. A. SIMPSON, and E. A. MAROUF (1984)
Science 223, 772
   PDF »
Ethane Ocean on Titan.
J. I. Lunine, J. I. LUNINE, D. J. STEVENSON, and Y. L. YUNG (1983)
Science 222, 1229-1230
   Abstract »    PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)