How speed-of-sound measurements could bring constraints on the composition of Titan's seas

Cordier, Daniel

doi:10.1093/mnras/stw732

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 33 publications

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“…Having this common theme as a guideline, we have paid special attention to effects which could be directly or indirectly observed during near future space missions, or are of particular conceptual relevance. Of course we made choices and this work is not exhaustive, some other aspects could have been discussed, for instance the acoustic expression of bubble population in extraterrestrial waterfalls (Leighton & White, 2004), bubble formation due to heat leak or cavitation around a boat or a submarine (Cordier, 2016; Hartwig et al., 2016), or soil adhesion due to organic mud, in which capillarity induced the formation of liquid bridges between solid particles (Lorenz, 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Capillary Processes in Extraterrestrial Contexts

Cordier,

Liger‐Belair,

Bonhommeau

et al. 2024

JGR Planets

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The Earth is no longer the only known celestial body containing one or more liquid phases. The Cassini spacecraft has discovered seas of hydrocarbons at the surface of Titan, while a series of corroborating evidences argue in favor of the existence of an aqueous ocean beneath the icy crust of several moons. Capillarity embraces a family of physical processes occurring at the free surface of a liquid. These phenomena depend on the liquid properties and on the local planetary conditions. Capillarity may have important direct or indirect implications on the geoscientific and astrobiological points of view. In this paper, we discuss capillarity physics among solar system objects and expected consequences for planetary science.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Capillary Processes in Extraterrestrial Contexts

Cordier,

Liger‐Belair,

Bonhommeau

et al. 2024

JGR Planets

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Science goals and new mission concepts for future exploration of Titan’s atmosphere, geology and habitability: titan POlar scout/orbitEr and in situ lake lander and DrONe explorer (POSEIDON)

et al. 2022

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In response to ESA’s “Voyage 2050” announcement of opportunity, we propose an ambitious L-class mission to explore one of the most exciting bodies in the Solar System, Saturn’s largest moon Titan. Titan, a “world with two oceans”, is an organic-rich body with interior-surface-atmosphere interactions that are comparable in complexity to the Earth. Titan is also one of the few places in the Solar System with habitability potential. Titan’s remarkable nature was only partly revealed by the Cassini-Huygens mission and still holds mysteries requiring a complete exploration using a variety of vehicles and instruments. The proposed mission concept POSEIDON (Titan POlar Scout/orbitEr and In situ lake lander DrONe explorer) would perform joint orbital and in situ investigations of Titan. It is designed to build on and exceed the scope and scientific/technological accomplishments of Cassini-Huygens, exploring Titan in ways that were not previously possible, in particular through full close-up and in situ coverage over long periods of time. In the proposed mission architecture, POSEIDON consists of two major elements: a spacecraft with a large set of instruments that would orbit Titan, preferably in a low-eccentricity polar orbit, and a suite of in situ investigation components, i.e. a lake lander, a “heavy” drone (possibly amphibious) and/or a fleet of mini-drones, dedicated to the exploration of the polar regions. The ideal arrival time at Titan would be slightly before the next northern Spring equinox (2039), as equinoxes are the most active periods to monitor still largely unknown atmospheric and surface seasonal changes. The exploration of Titan’s northern latitudes with an orbiter and in situ element(s) would be highly complementary in terms of timing (with possible mission timing overlap), locations, and science goals with the upcoming NASA New Frontiers Dragonfly mission that will provide in situ exploration of Titan’s equatorial regions, in the mid-2030s.

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The 3.4μm absorption in Titan’s stratosphere: Contribution of ethane, propane, butane and complex hydrogenated organics

Cours

Cordier

Seignovert

et al. 2020

Icarus

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The complex organic chemistry harbored by the atmosphere of Titan has been investigated in depth by Cassini observations. Among them, a series of solar occultations performed by the VIMS instrument throughout the 13 years of Cassini revealed a strong absorption centered at 3.4 µm. Several molecules present in Titan's atmosphere create spectral features in that wavelength region, but their individual contributions are difficult to disentangle. In this work, we quantify the contribution of the various molecular species to the 3.4 µm band using a radiative transfer model. Ethane and propane are a significant component of the band but they are not enough to fit the shape perfectly, then we need something else. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and more complex polyaromatic hydrocarbons like Hydrogenated Amorphous Carbons (HACs) are the most plausible candidates because they are rich in C -H bonds. PAHs signature have already been detected above 900 km, and they are recognized as aerosols particles precursors. High similarities between individual spectra impede abundances determinations.

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How speed-of-sound measurements could bring constraints on the composition of Titan's seas

Cited by 3 publications

References 33 publications

Capillary Processes in Extraterrestrial Contexts

Capillary Processes in Extraterrestrial Contexts

Science goals and new mission concepts for future exploration of Titan’s atmosphere, geology and habitability: titan POlar scout/orbitEr and in situ lake lander and DrONe explorer (POSEIDON)

The 3.4μm absorption in Titan’s stratosphere: Contribution of ethane, propane, butane and complex hydrogenated organics

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