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Coronal Holes and the High-Speed Solar Wind
Cranmer, Steven R.
Coronal holes are the lowest density plasma components of the Sun's outer atmosphere, and are associated with rapidly expanding magnetic fields and the acceleration of the high-speed solar wind. Spectroscopic and polarimetric observations of the extended corona, coupled with interplanetary particle and radio sounding measurements going back severa…
The Cassini/Huygens Mission to the Saturnian System
Lebreton, Jean-Pierre; Matson, Dennis L.; Spilker, Linda J.
The international Cassini/Huygens mission consists of the Cassini Saturn Orbiter spacecraft and the Huygens Titan Probe that is targeted for entry into the atmosphere of Saturn's largest moon, Titan. From launch on October 15, 1997 to arrival at Saturn in July 2004, Cassini/Huygens will travel over three billion kilometers. Once in orbit about Sat…
The Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer for the Huygens Probe
Israel, G.; Atreya, S. K.; Lunine, J. I. +16 more
The Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer (GCMS) on the Huygens Probe will measure the chemical composition of Titan's atmosphere from 170 km altitude (∼1 hPa) to the surface (∼1500 hPa) and determine the isotope ratios of the major gaseous constituents. The GCMS will also analyze gas samples from the Aerosol Collector Pyrolyser (ACP) and may be abl…
The Characterisation of Titan's Atmospheric Physical Properties by the Huygens Atmospheric Structure Instrument (Hasi)
Rodrigo, R.; Barucci, M. A.; Fulchignoni, M. +25 more
The Huygens Atmospheric Structure Instrument (HASI) is a multi-sensor package which has been designed to measure the physical quantities characterising the atmosphere of Titan during the Huygens probe descent on Titan and at the surface. HASI sensors are devoted to the study of Titan's atmospheric structure and electric properties, and to provide …
The Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer (DISR) Experiment on the Huygens Entry Probe of Titan
Tomasko, M. G.; Smith, P. H.; Fellows, C. +11 more
The payload of the Huygens Probe into the atmosphere of Titan includes the Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer (DISR). This instrument includes an integrated package of several optical instruments built around a silicon charge coupled device (CCD) detector, a pair of linear InGaAs array detectors, and several individual silicon detectors. Fiber opt…
The Huygens Probe: Science, Payload and Mission Overview
Matson, D. L.; Lebreton, J. -P.
Huygens is an entry probe designed to descend under parachute through the atmosphere of Titan, Saturn's largest moon, down to the surface. The main Huygens science mission phase occurs during the 2 21/2 hours parachute descent. Measurements will also be conducted during the 3 min entry and possibly up to about one hour on the surface if…
Organic Chemistry and Exobiology on Titan
Owen, Tobias; Raulin, François
Exobiology is not only the study of the origin, distribution and evolution of life in the universe, but also of structures — including at the molecular level, and processes — including organic chemical transformations — related to life. In that respect, with its dense nitrogen atmosphere, which includes a noticeable fraction of methane, and the ma…
Magnetospheric and Plasma Science with Cassini-Huygens
Gurnett, D. A.; Dougherty, M. K.; Tsurutani, B. T. +27 more
Magnetospheric and plasma science studies at Saturn offer a unique opportunity to explore in-depth two types of magnetospheres. These are an ‘induced’ magnetosphere generated by the interaction of Titan with the surrounding plasma flow and Saturn's ‘intrinsic’ magnetosphere, the magnetic cavity Saturn's planetary magnetic field creates inside the …
Huygens' Surface Science Package
Leese, M. R.; Hathi, B.; Zarnecki, J. C. +2 more
The design and performance of the Surface Science Package (SSP) on the Huygens probe are discussed. This instrument consists of nine separate sensors that are designed to measure a wide range of physical properties of Titan's lower atmosphere, surface, and sub-surface. By measuring a number of physical properties of the surface it is expected that…
The Huygens Doppler Wind Experiment - Titan Winds Derived from Probe Radio Frequency Measurements
Plettemeier, D.; Bird, M. K.; Wohlmuth, R. +10 more
A Doppler Wind Experiment (DWE) will be performed during the Titan atmospheric descent of the ESA Huygens Probe. The direction and strength of Titan's zonal winds will be determined with an accuracy better than 1 m s-1 from the start of mission at an altitude of ∼160 km down to the surface. The Probe's wind-induced horizontal motion wil…