Search Publications
Physics of saltation and sand transport on Titan: A brief review
Lorenz, Ralph D.
Key physical aspects of saltation and sand transport on Titan are reviewed, and the sensitivity of saltation parameters to assumptions about sand composition (most likely of 'heavy' organics) is explored. The possibility of significant triboelectric charging of sediments in Titan's low-conductivity environment is noted, and given Titan's low gravi…
The methane mole fraction in Titan’s stratosphere from DISR measurements during the Huygens probe’s descent
Bézard, Bruno
We present a determination of the methane mole fraction in Titan's stratosphere using spectral measurements by the Upward Looking Infrared Spectrometer (ULIS) of the Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer (DISR) aboard the Huygens probe. We analyzed the 1.4-µm band of methane for which a complete linelist, down to very low intensities, was recen…
Gravity waves in Titan's lower stratosphere from Huygens probe in situ temperature measurements
Young, Leslie A.; Lorenz, Ralph D.; Ferri, Francesca
The Huygens probe recorded atmospheric temperatures during its parachute descent through the atmosphere of Titan. A careful analysis of these data reveals for the first time spectacular but hitherto-unreported small-scale variations in stratospheric temperatures that we interpret as gravity waves, consistent with detection of such waves at higher …
Non-uniform global methane distribution in Titan’s troposphere evidenced by Cassini radio occultations
Tokano, Tetsuya
The global distribution of atmospheric pressure retrieved from Cassini radio occultations is reanalyzed and interpreted in a meteorological context. The retrieval of Titan's atmospheric pressure profile from radio occultations is ambiguous because it depends on the methane mole fraction, which is not precisely known in the troposphere beyond the e…
The atypical generation mechanism of Titan's Schumann resonance
Béghin, Christian
The observation of a presumed Schumann resonance (SR) during the landing of the Huygens Probe in Titan's atmosphere on January 2005 was subsequently reported and interpreted by Béghin et al. (2007, 2009, 2010, 2012) as being generated through the interaction of Saturn's magnetosphere with Titan's ionosphere rather than from the lightning activity …