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Extreme densities in Titan's ionosphere during the T85 magnetosheath encounter
Edberg, N. J. T. Andrews, D. J. Shebanits, O. Ågren, K. Wahlund, J.-E. Opgenoorth, H. J. Roussos, E. Garnier, P. Cravens, Thomas Edward Badman, S. V.
Edberg, N. J. T.
Andrews, D. J.
Shebanits, O.
Ågren, K.
Wahlund, J.-E.
Opgenoorth, H. J.
Roussos, E.
Garnier, P.
Cravens, Thomas Edward
Badman, S. V.
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Abstract
We present Cassini Langmuir probe measurements of the highest electron number densities ever reported from the ionosphere of Titan. The measured density reached 4310 cm−3 during the T85 Titan flyby. This is at least 500 cm−3 higher than ever observed before and at least 50% above the average density for similar solar zenith angles. The peak of the ionospheric density is not reached on this flyby, making the maximum measured density a lower limit. During this flyby, we also report that an impacting coronal mass ejection (CME) leaves Titan in the magnetosheath of Saturn, where it is exposed to shocked solar wind plasma for at least 2 h 45 min. We suggest that the solar wind plasma in the magnetosheath during the CME conditions significantly modifies Titan's ionosphere by an addition of particle impact ionization by precipitating protons.
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This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/grl.50579/abstract.
Date
2013-06-28
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American Geophysical Union
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Keywords
Titan, Cassini, Ionosphere, Magnetosheath, ionization
Citation
Edberg et at. (2013). Extreme densities in Titan’s ionosphere during the T85 magnetosphere encounter. Geophys. Res. Lett. 40:2879. http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1002/grl.50579