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Titan’s surface and atmosphere from Cassini/VIMS data with updated methane opacity
Le Mouélic, S.; Rodriguez, S.; Lellouch, E. +13 more
We present an analysis of Titan data acquired by the Cassini Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS), making use of recent improvements in methane spectroscopic parameters in the region 1.3-5.2 µm. We first analyzed VIMS spectra covering a 8 × 10-km2 area near the Huygens landing site in order to constrain the single scatt…
Dynamics of Saturn’s great storm of 2010-2011 from Cassini ISS and RPWS
West, Robert A.; Porco, Carolyn C.; Dyudina, Ulyana A. +6 more
Saturn’s quasi-periodic planet-encircling storms are the largest convecting cumulus outbursts in the Solar System. The last eruption was in 1990 (Sánchez-Lavega, A. [1994]. Chaos 4, 341-353). A new eruption started in December 2010 and presented the first-ever opportunity to observe such episodic storms from a spacecraft in orbit around Saturn (Fi…
The thermal structure of Titan’s upper atmosphere, I: Temperature profiles from Cassini INMS observations
Wahlund, J. -E.; Edberg, N. J. T.; Ågren, K. +3 more
We derive vertical temperature profiles from Ion Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS) N2 density measurements from 32 Cassini passes. We find that the average temperature of Titan’s thermosphere varies significantly from pass-to-pass between 112 and 175 K. The temperatures from individual temperature profiles also varies considerably, with …
The temperature and width of an active fissure on Enceladus measured with Cassini VIMS during the 14 April 2012 South Pole flyover
Hedman, Matthew M.; Sotin, Christophe; Baines, Kevin H. +10 more
The width and temperature of the active fissures on Saturn’s satellite Enceladus provide key observable constraints on physical models of these geyser-like eruptions. We analyze a sequence of high spatial resolution near-infrared spectra acquired with VIMS at 0.025 s intervals during a 74 km altitude flyover of the South Pole of Enceladus by the C…
A global topographic map of Titan
Barnes, Jason W.; Stiles, Bryan W.; Kirk, Randolph L. +8 more
Cassini RADAR SARtopo and altimetry data are used to construct a global gridded 1 × 1° elevation map, for use in Global Circulation Models, hydrological models and correlative studies. The data are sparse, and so most of the map domain (∼90%) is populated with interpolated values using a spline algorithm. The highest (∼+520 m) gridded point observ…
Stratospheric aerosols on Jupiter from Cassini observations
Zhang, X.; West, R. A.; Banfield, D. +1 more
We retrieved global distributions and optical properties of stratospheric aerosols on Jupiter from ground-based NIR spectra and multiple-phase-angle images from Cassini Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS). A high-latitude haze layer is located at ∼10-20 mbar, higher than in the middle and low latitudes (∼50 mbar). Compact sub-micron particles are main…
Late origin of the Saturn system
Asphaug, Erik; Reufer, Andreas
Saturn is orbited by a half dozen ice rich middle-sized moons (MSMs) of diverse geology and composition. These comprise ∼4.4% of Saturn’s satellite mass; the rest is Titan, more massive per planet than Jupiter’s satellites combined. Jupiter has no MSMs. Disk-based models to explain these differences exist, but have various challenges and assumptio…
Morphology of fluvial networks on Titan: Evidence for structural control
Black, Benjamin A.; Perron, J. Taylor; Burr, Devon M. +2 more
Although Titan’s surface shows clear evidence of erosional modification, such as fluvial incision, evidence for tectonism has been less apparent. On Earth, fluvial networks with strongly preferred orientations are often associated with structural features, such as faults or joints, that influence flow or erodibility. We delineated and classified t…
Connections between spectra and structure in Saturn’s main rings based on Cassini VIMS data
Clark, R. N.; Nicholson, P. D.; Hedman, M. M. +4 more
Saturn’s main rings exhibit variations in both their opacity and their spectral properties on a broad range of spatial scales, and the correlations between these parameters can provide insights into the processes that shape the composition and dynamics of the rings. The Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) instrument onboard the Cassini…
Saturn’s Great Storm of 2010-2011: Evidence for ammonia and water ices from analysis of VIMS spectra
Baines, K. H.; Sromovsky, L. A.; Fry, P. M.
Our analysis of Cassini/VIMS near-infrared spectra of Saturn’s Great Storm of 2010-2011 reveals a multi-component aerosol composition comprised primarily of ammonia ice, with a significant component of water ice. The most likely third component is ammonium hydrosulfide or some weakly absorbing material similar to what dominates visible clouds outs…