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.

Site Tools

  • AAAS
  • Subscribe
  • Feedback

Site Search

Search Advanced

Science 13 May 2005:
Vol. 308. no. 5724, pp. 986 - 989
DOI: 10.1126/science.1109807
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Reports

Cassini Measurements of Cold Plasma in the Ionosphere of Titan

J.-E. Wahlund,1* R. Boström,1 G. Gustafsson,1 D. A. Gurnett,2 W. S. Kurth,2 A. Pedersen,3 T. F. Averkamp,2 G. B. Hospodarsky,2 A. M. Persoon,2 P. Canu,4 F. M. Neubauer,5 M. K. Dougherty,6 A. I. Eriksson,1 M. W. Morooka,1 R. Gill,1 M. André,1 L. Eliasson,7 I. Müller-Wodarg6

The Cassini Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) Langmuir probe (LP) sensor observed the cold plasma environment around Titan during the first two flybys. The data show that conditions in Saturn's magnetosphere affect the structure and dynamics deep in the ionosphere of Titan. The maximum measured ionospheric electron number density reached 3800 per cubic centimeter near closest approach, and a complex chemistry was indicated. The electron temperature profiles are consistent with electron heat conduction from the hotter Titan wake. The ionospheric escape flux was estimated to be 1025 ions per second.

1 Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Box 537, SE-751 21 Uppsala, Sweden.
2 Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA.
3 Department of Physics, University of Oslo, NO-0316 Oslo, Norway.
4 Centre d'Etude des Environnements Terrestre et Planétaires/CNRS/Institut Pierre Simon Laplace, 78140 Vélizy-Villacoublay, France.
5 Institute for Geophysics and Meteorology, Köln University, D-50923 Köln, Germany.
6 Blacket Laboratory, Imperial College London, London SW7 2BW, UK.
7 Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Box 812, SE-981 28 Kiruna, Sweden.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: jwe{at}irfu.se

Read the Full Text


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Interaction of Titan's ionosphere with Saturn's magnetosphere.
A. J Coates (2009)
Phil Trans R Soc A 367, 773-788
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
The Magnetic Memory of Titan's Ionized Atmosphere.
C. Bertucci, N. Achilleos, M. K. Dougherty, R. Modolo, A. J. Coates, K. Szego, A. Masters, Y. Ma, F. M. Neubauer, P. Garnier, et al. (2008)
Science 321, 1475-1478
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Intensive Titan Exploration Begins.
P. R. Mahaffy (2005)
Science 308, 969-970
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Titan's Magnetic Field Signature During the First Cassini Encounter.
H. Backes, F. M. Neubauer, M. K. Dougherty, N. Achilleos, N. Andre, C. S. Arridge, C. Bertucci, G. H. Jones, K. K. Khurana, C. T. Russell, et al. (2005)
Science 308, 992-995
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

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