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Titan's ion exosphere observed from Voyager 1
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Titan's ion exosphere observed from Voyager 1

R. E Hartle, E. C Sittler, K. W Ogilvie, J. D Scudder, A. J Lazarus and S. K Atreya
Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol.87(A3), pp.1383-1394
03/01/1982
DOI: 10.1029/JA087iA03p01383

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Abstract

Electron and ion measurements made by the Voyager 1 plasma science instrument revealed a plasma wake surrounding Titan in Saturn's rotating magnetosphere. This wake is characterized by a plasma that is more dense and cooler than the surrounding subsonic magnetospheric plasma. The density enhancement is produced by the deflection of magnetospheric plasma around Titan and the addition of exospheric ions picked up by the rotating magnetosphere. By using simple models for ion pickup in the ion exosphere outside Titan's magnetic tail and ion flow within the boundaries of the tail, the interaction between Saturn's rotating magnetosphere and Titan is shown to resemble the interaction between the solar wind and Venus. Outside the magnetic tail of Titan, pickup of H+ formed by ionization of the H exosphere is indicated when synthetic and observed ion spectra are matched. Close to the boundary of the tail, a reduction in plasma flow speed is found, providing evidence for mass loading by the addition of N2+/H2CN+ and N+ to the flowing plasma. The boundary of the tail is indicated by a sharp reduction in the flux of high‐energy electrons, which are removed by inelastic scattering with the atmosphere and centrifugal drift produced when the electrons traverse the magnetic field draped around Titan. Within the tail the plasma is structured as the result of spatial and/or temporal variations. The ion mass cannot be determined uniquely in the tail; however, one measurement suggests the presence of a heavy ion with a mass of order 28 amu: One candidate is H2CN+, suggested as the dominant topside ion of the ionosphere, which may flow from the ionosphere into the tail.

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