Search Publications
Titan’s new pole: Implications for the Huygens entry and descent trajectory and landing coordinates
Lebreton, Jean-Pierre; Atkinson, David H.; Kazeminejad, Bobby
The European Space Agency's Huygens probe separated from the NASA Cassini spacecraft on 25 December 2004, after having been attached for a 7-year interplanetary journey and three orbits around Saturn. The probe reached the predefined NASA/ESA interface point on 14 January 2005 at 09:05:52.523 (UTC). It performed a successful entry and descent sequ…
Kinetic study of a N2-CH4 afterglow plasma for production of N-containing hydrocarbon species of Titan’s atmosphere
Pintassilgo, C. D.; Loureiro, J.
We present the results from a self-consistent kinetic model simulating the afterglow of a flowing microwave discharge in pure N 2 in which CH 4 is introduced in the post-discharge. The simulation is carried out for a discharge operating at 433 MHz, in a tube of 1.9 cm inner radius, at the pressure range 26.6-133 Pa. In the po…
From Titan’s tholins to Titan’s aerosols: Isotopic study and chemical evolution at Titan’s surface
Szopa, Cyril; Cernogora, Guy; Raulin, François +5 more
In the present work, we focused on the possible isotopic fractionation of carbon during the processes involved in the formation of Titan’s tholins. We present the first results obtained on the 12C/13C isotopic ratios measured on Titan’s tholins synthesized in laboratory with cold plasma discharges. Measurements of isotopic ra…
Titan atmosphere database
Lebonnois, S.; Rannou, P.; Luz, D. +1 more
We have developed in the last decade a two-dimensional version of the Titan global circulation model LMDZ. This model accounts for multiple coupling occuring on Titan between dynamics, haze, chemistry and radiative transfer. It was successful at explaining many observed features related to atmosphere state (wind, temperature), haze structure and c…
The influence of the solar particle and radiation environment on Titan’s atmosphere evolution
Lammer, H.; Penz, T.; Biernat, H. K. +1 more
Measurements of the 15N/ 14N isotope ratio in Titan's atmosphere by Earth-based millimetric wavelength spectroscopic observations of HC 15N/HC 14N indicate that the bulk nitrogen may be enriched in the heavy isotope 15N by about 3.9-4.5 times relative to the terrestrial value. For the explanat…
The Cassini solar Faraday rotation experiment
Russell, C. T.; Jensen, E. A.; Bird, M. K. +3 more
The Cassini Faraday rotation experiment improves the current understanding of the coronal magnetic field by making the first measurements of the magnetic field within two solar radii of the south pole and by allowing the separation of the changing electron density from the magnetic field during transient crossings of the line of sight. Simultaneou…
Shumann resonances and electromagnetic transparence in the atmosphere of Titan
Molina-Cuberos, G. J.; Eichelberger, H. U.; Schwingenschuh, K. +6 more
Among the multiple questions that the CASSINI/HUYGENS mission tries to answer is the likelihood of electric discharges in Titan's atmosphere. The instruments ``Huygens Atmospheric Structure Instrument'' and ``Radio and Plasma Wave Science'' will probe the electromagnetic emissions during the Huygens descent and Cassini flybys, respectively. Althou…
Simulating Titan’s tropospheric circulation with the Portable University Model of the Atmosphere
Keller, H. U.; Grieger, B.; Rodin, A. V. +4 more
The Portable University Model of the Atmosphere (PUMA) is a general circulation model of intermediate complexity. In the model setup used herein, the dynamics is driven by restoration to a prescribed temperature field. Given an observed three-dimensional field of restoration temperatures, the feedback of aerosol distribution to the radiation schem…
Sicily 2002 balloon campaign: a test of the HASI instrument
Fulchignoni, M.; Colombatti, G.; Ferri, F. +9 more
A mock-up of the probe descending in the Titan atmosphere as part of the Huygens Cassini Mission was successfully launched and recovered on 30th May 2002 after a stratospheric balloon launch from the Italian Space Agency Base "Luigi Broglio" in Trapani, Sicily. To simulate the Huygens mission at Titan, the probe was lifted to an altitude of 32 km …
Some comments on the F ring-Prometheus-Pandora environment
Winter, O. C.; Giuliatti Winter, S. M.
The system formed by the F ring and two close satellites, Prometheus and Pandora, has been analysed since the time that Voyager visited the planet Saturn. During the ring plane crossing in 1995 the satellites were found in different positions as predicted by the Voyager data. Besides the mutual effects of Prometheus and Pandora, they are also dist…