Cassini Measurements of Cold Plasma in the Ionosphere of Titan

J.-E. Wahlund; R. Boström; G. Gustafsson; D. A. Gurnett; W. S. Kurth; A. Pedersen; T. F. Averkamp; G. B. Hospodarsky; A. M. Persoon; P. Canu; F. M. Neubauer; M. K. Dougherty; A. I. Eriksson; M. W. Morooka; R. Gill; M. André; L. Eliasson; I. Müller-Wodarg

doi:10.1126/science.1109807

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Cassini Measurements of Cold Plasma in the Ionosphere of Titan

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Cassini Measurements of Cold Plasma in the Ionosphere of Titan

J.-E. Wahlund, R. Boström, G. Gustafsson, D. A. Gurnett, W. S. Kurth, A. Pedersen, T. F. Averkamp, G. B. Hospodarsky, A. M. Persoon, P. Canu, …

Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science), Vol.308(5724), pp.986-989

05/13/2005

DOI: 10.1126/science.1109807

PMID: 15894529

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Abstract

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 10 25 ions per second.

Details

Title: Subtitle: Cassini Measurements of Cold Plasma in the Ionosphere of Titan
Creators: J.-E. Wahlund - Swedish Institute of Space Physics
R. Boström - Swedish Institute of Space Physics
G. Gustafsson - Swedish Institute of Space Physics
D. A. Gurnett - University of Iowa
W. S. Kurth - University of Iowa
A. Pedersen - Swedish Institute of Space Physics
T. F. Averkamp - University of Iowa
G. B. Hospodarsky - University of Iowa
A. M. Persoon - University of Iowa
P. Canu - Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace
F. M. Neubauer - University of Cologne
M. K. Dougherty - Swedish Institute of Space Physics
A. I. Eriksson - Swedish Institute of Space Physics
M. W. Morooka - Swedish Institute of Space Physics
R. Gill - Swedish Institute of Space Physics
M. André - Swedish Institute of Space Physics
L. Eliasson - Swedish Institute of Space Physics
I. Müller-Wodarg - Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Box 537, SE-751 21 Uppsala, Sweden., Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA., Department of Physics, University of Oslo, NO-0316 Oslo, Norway., Centre d'Etude des Environnements Terrestre et Planétaires/CNRS/Institut Pierre Simon Laplace, 78140 Vélizy-Villacoublay, France., Institute for Geophysics and Meteorology, Köln University, D-50923 Köln, Germany
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science), Vol.308(5724), pp.986-989
DOI: 10.1126/science.1109807
PMID: 15894529
ISSN: 0036-8075
eISSN: 1095-9203
Language: English
Date published: 05/13/2005
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy
Record Identifier: 9984455364202771

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