Re‐Analysis of the Cassini RPWS/LP Data in Titan's Ionosphere: 1. Detection of Several Electron Populations

Chatain, Audrey; Wahlund, J. E.; Shebanits, Oleg; Hadid, Lina; Edberg, Niklas J. T.; Guaitella, Olivier; Carrasco, Nathalie

doi:10.1029/2020ja028412

Cited by 5 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…However, the main populations have similar properties and their net densities and temperatures are consistent with the earlier estimates of the bulk temperatures and densities by Ågren et al (2009) and Edberg et al (2010Edberg et al ( , 2013aEdberg et al ( , 2018. Due to the complexity of the analysis, dividing the electrons into three polulations also introduces significant error margins (Chatain et al, 2021a). Another way to estimate the bulk electron density is by means of quasineutrality using the ram ion current as detailed in Shebanits et al, 2016. The ram ion current is by definition independent of the ion and dust masses.…”

Section: Datasets and Flyby Coveragesupporting

confidence: 87%

“…(2010, 2013a, 2018). Due to the complexity of the analysis, dividing the electrons into three polulations also introduces significant error margins (Chatain et al., 2021a). Another way to estimate the bulk electron density is by means of quasineutrality using the ram ion current as detailed in Shebanits et al., 2016.…”

Section: Observations and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Cassini MAG provides the in-situ magnetic field strength measurements. Regarding the RPWS/LP derived electron density and temperature, Chatain et al (2021aChatain et al ( , 2021b provides a very detailed analysis of the electron current, showing that in Titan's ionosphere it consists of up to three electron populations as well as secondary electrons emitted from the s/c. However, the main populations have similar properties and their net densities and temperatures are consistent with the earlier estimates of the bulk temperatures and densities by Ågren et al (2009) and Edberg et al (2010Edberg et al ( , 2013aEdberg et al ( , 2018.…”

Section: Datasets and Flyby Coveragementioning

confidence: 99%

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Conductivities of Titan's Dusty Ionosphere

et al. 2022

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Titan is immersed in Saturn's magnetosphere (Bertucci et al., 2008;Garnier et al., 2010) and does not have its own magnetic field. Instead, an induced magnetic field is formed around Titan from the interactions with Saturn's magnetosphere (Wahlund et al., 2005), similarly to interactions of Venus and Mars with the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field (e.g., Bertucci et al., 2011 and references therein). The interaction between Titan and the ambient magnetic field depends to a large degree on Titan's conductive ionosphere. Previously, the electrical properties of Titan's ionosphere were derived using only the ion and electron content (Rosenqvist et al., 2009). In the later years, the data sets have been significantly updated. Most notably, large amounts of charged dust were detected in Titan's ionosphere (Ågren et al., 2012;Coates et al., 2007;Shebanits et al., 2013) and a globally present dusty ion-ion plasma is expected (Shebanits et al., 2016). The charged dust grains in the ionosphere-like plasma of Enceladus plume (Morooka et al., 2011) and in the near-equatorial dusty ionosphere of Saturn (Morooka et al., 2019) were shown to have a profound effect on its electric conductivities by Simon et al. (2011) and Yaroshenko and Lühr (2016), and Shebanits et al. (2020, respectively. In this work we derive the electrical properties of Titan's ionosphere using the full plasma content: electrons, positive ions and negative ions/dust grains and investigate the impact of dusty plasma on an unmagnetized planetary body. The relevant in-situ measurements used here are from the Radio and Plasma Wave Science Langmuir Probe (RPWS/LP, Gurnett et al., 2004), the Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS, Teolis et al., 2015;Waite et al., 2004) and the Cassini Fluxgate Magnetometer (MAG, Dougherty et al., 2004). The data set spans the entire Cassini mission and is representative of a full solar cycle and nearly half Titan year.

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Section: Datasets and Flyby Coveragesupporting

confidence: 87%

Section: Observations and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Datasets and Flyby Coveragementioning

confidence: 99%

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Conductivities of Titan's Dusty Ionosphere

et al. 2022

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“…Models predating the Cassini – Huygens mission − primarily focused on replicating the observed neutral gas abundances as measured by Voyager and the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) . However, some models were also developed for the ionosphere. − During the Cassini – Huygens mission and since, new information collected by the spacecraft, especially from direct sampling of the ionosphere, ,− has prompted many new and revised models of Titan’s atmosphere. − …”

Section: Atmospheric Composition and Structurementioning

confidence: 99%

The Composition and Chemistry of Titan’s Atmosphere

Nixon

2024

ACS Earth Space Chem.

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In this review I summarize the current state of knowledge about the composition of Titan's atmosphere and our current understanding of the suggested chemistry that leads to that observed composition. I begin with our present knowledge of the atmospheric composition, garnered from a variety of measurements including Cassini−Huygens, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, and other ground-and space-based telescopes. This review focuses on the typical vertical profiles of gases at low latitudes rather than global and temporal variations. The main body of the review presents a chemical description of how complex molecules are believed to arise from simpler species, considering all known "stable" molecules�those that have been uniquely identified in the neutral atmosphere. The last section of the review is devoted to the gaps in our present knowledge of Titan's chemical composition and how further work may fill those gaps.

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“…Worth mentioning, the "20 Hz" data are electron temperature dependent. The reduction from Langmuir probe sweeps to the physical properties of density and temperature for various applications have been discussed in several previous papers, for example, Chatain et al (2021), Gustafsson and Wahlund (2010), Morooka et al (2011), andShebanits et al (2016).…”

Section: Rpws/lpmentioning

confidence: 99%

On Current Sheets and Associated Density Spikes in Titan’s Ionosphere as Seen From Cassini

et al. 2023

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The Cassini spacecraft made in-situ measurements of Titan's plasma environment during 126 close encounters between 2004 and 2017. Here we report on observations from the Radio and Plasma Waves System/Langmuir probe instrument (RPWS/LP) from which we have observed, primarily on the outbound leg, a localized increase of the electron density by up to 150 cm −3 with respect to the background. This feature, appearing as an electron density spike in the data, is found during 28 of the 126 flybys. The data from RPWS/LP, the electron spectrometer from the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer package , and the magnetometer is used to calculate electron densities and magnetic field characteristics. The location of these structures around Titan with respect to the nominal corotation direction and the sun direction is investigated. We find that the electron density spikes are primarily observed on the dayside and ramside of Titan. We also observe magnetic field signatures that could suggest the presence of current sheets in most cases. The density spikes are extended along the trajectory of the spacecraft with the horizontal scale of ∼537 ± 160 km and vertical scale ∼399 ± 163 km. We suggest that the density spikes are formed as a result of the current sheet formation.

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Re‐Analysis of the Cassini RPWS/LP Data in Titan's Ionosphere: 1. Detection of Several Electron Populations

Cited by 5 publications

References 54 publications

Conductivities of Titan's Dusty Ionosphere

Conductivities of Titan's Dusty Ionosphere

The Composition and Chemistry of Titan’s Atmosphere

On Current Sheets and Associated Density Spikes in Titan’s Ionosphere as Seen From Cassini

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