Search Publications
Self-consistent modeling of induced magnetic field in Titan's atmosphere accounting for the generation of Schumann resonance
Béghin, Christian
This model is worked out in the frame of physical mechanisms proposed in previous studies accounting for the generation and the observation of an atypical Schumann Resonance (SR) during the descent of the Huygens Probe in the Titan's atmosphere on 14 January 2005. While Titan is staying inside the subsonic co-rotating magnetosphere of Saturn, a se…
Thermal transport in Saturn's B ring inferred from Cassini CIRS
Altobelli, Nicolas; Showalter, Mark; Pilorz, Stuart +1 more
We examine the heat budget of Saturn's B ring using all of the data from Cassini's Composite Infra Red Spectrometer (CIRS) taken during one Saturn season, together with a detailed numerical calculation of the incident flux. We find that at all times 30-40% of the energy incident on the sunlit side finds its way through the ring to be emitted on th…
Mab's orbital motion explained
Showalter, M. R.; de Pater, I.; Kumar, K.
We explored the hypothesis that Mab's anomalous orbital motion, as deduced from Hubble Space Telescope (HST) data (Showalter, M.R., Lissauer, J.J. [2006]. Science (New York, NY) 311, 973-977), is the result of gravitational interactions with a putative suite of large bodies in the µ-ring. We conducted simulations to compute the gravitational…
Properties of craters on the Achaia region of Asteroid (21) Lutetia
Jorda, L.; Lamy, P. L.; Groussin, O. +3 more
We report on the physical properties of the craters of Achaia region of the main-belt Asteroid (21) Lutetia, based on images obtained with the OSIRIS instrument during the Rosetta flyby that took place on 10 July 2010. Images of the surface were acquired with its Narrow Angle Camera, from which Digital Terrain Models (DTM) of the surface were cons…
Near-infrared spectra of ferrous mineral mixtures and methods for their identification in planetary surface spectra
Bell, James F.; Cloutis, Edward A.; Mann, Paul +1 more
Iron-bearing minerals are a major component of planetary surfaces, and many can be identified by their characteristic absorption bands in the near-infrared (NIR). Here we present laboratory NIR spectra of a wide range of common Fe-bearing minerals (e.g., olivines, pyroxenes), glasses, and mineral/glass mixtures. We then use this suite of spectra t…
Saturn ring seismology: Evidence for stable stratification in the deep interior of Saturn
Fuller, Jim
Seismology allows for direct observational constraints on the interior structures of stars and planets. Recent observations of Saturn's ring system have revealed the presence of density waves within the rings excited by oscillation modes within Saturn, allowing for precise measurements of a limited set of the planet's mode frequencies. We construc…
Chemical composition of Titan’s atmosphere and ionosphere: Observations and the photochemical model
Krasnopolsky, Vladimir A.
Basic observational data on hydrocarbons, nitriles, and ions on Titan are compared with predictions of the photochemical model. Uncertainties of the observed abundances and differences between the data from different instruments and observing teams are comparable with the differences between the observations and the model results. Main reactions o…
Shape, topography, gravity anomalies and tidal deformation of Titan
Lunine, Jonathan I.; Hayes, Alex; Zebker, Howard +5 more
Gravity measurements and elevation data from the Cassini mission have been used to create shape, global topography and gravity anomaly models of Titan that enable an improved understanding of its outer ice I shell structure. We provide constraints on the averaged ice shell thickness and its long-wavelength lateral variations, as well as the densit…
Coupling of oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrocarbon species in the photochemistry of Titan's atmosphere
Dobrijevic, M.; Loison, J. C.; Hickson, K. M. +1 more
Analysis of recent detections of water by Herschel/HIFI-PACS and Cassini/CIRS suggest for a steep gradient of the water profile in the lower stratosphere of Titan's atmosphere (Cottini, V., Nixon, C.A., Jennings, D.E., Anderson, C.M., Gorius, N., Bjoraker, G.L., Coustenis, A., Teanby, N.A., Achterberg, R.K., Béezard, B., de Kok, R., Lellouch, E., …
Titan’s internal structure inferred from its gravity field, shape, and rotation state
Tobie, Gabriel; Lefèvre, Axel; Baland, Rose-Marie +1 more
Several quantities measured by the Cassini-Huygens mission provide insight into the interior of Titan: the second-degree gravity field coefficients, the shape, the tidal Love number, the electric field, and the orientation of its rotation axis. The measured obliquity and tides, as well as the electric field, are evidence for the presence of an int…