Detection of negative ions in the deep ionosphere of Titan during the Cassini T70 flyby

被引：48

作者：

Agren, K. ^{[1
]}

Edberg, N. J. T. ^{[1
]}

Wahlund, J. -E. ^{[1
]}

机构：

[1] Swedish Inst Space Phys, SE-75121 Uppsala, Sweden

来源：

GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS | 2012年 / 39卷

关键词：

ATMOSPHERE; IONIZATION;

D O I：

10.1029/2012GL051714

中图分类号：

P [天文学、地球科学];

学科分类号：

07 ;

摘要：

We present radio and plasma wave science (RPWS) Langmuir probe (LP) observations that give evidence for a population of heavy, negative ions at altitudes below 900 km in Titan's ionosphere during the Cassini T70 flyby. The negative ion density in this region is comparable to, or higher than, the electron density of 760 cm(-3). Both positive and negative ions are moving with a velocity of at least a few hundred m s(-1) relative to Titan. We show two limiting cases where we have analysed RPWS/LP ion measurements. The data can be interpreted as either that a population of negative ions with density comparable to the electron density is present, moving at a very high (>2 km s(-1)) velocity, or that the ion population is moving at a few hundred m s(-1), but with a density an order of magnitude larger than the electron density in the same region. Citation: Agren, K., N. J. T. Edberg, and J.-E. Wahlund (2012), Detection of negative ions in the deep ionosphere of Titan during the Cassini T70 flyby, Geophys. Res. Lett., 39, L10201, doi:10.1029/2012GL051714.

引用

页数：5

共 20 条

[1] On magnetospheric electron impact ionisation and dynamics in Titan's ram-side and polar ionosphere - a Cassini case study [J].

Agren, K. ;

Wahlund, J. -E. ;

Modolo, R. ;

Lummerzheim, D. ;

Galand, M. ;

Mueller-Wodarg, I. ;

Canu, P. ;

Kurth, W. S. ;

Cravens, T. E. ;

Yelle, R. V. ;

Waite, J. H., Jr. ;

Coates, A. J. ;

Lewis, G. R. ;

Young, D. T. ;

Bertucci, C. ;

Dougherty, M. K. .

ANNALES GEOPHYSICAE, 2007, 25 (11) :2359-2369

[2] Detection of currents and associated electric fields in Titan's ionosphere from Cassini data [J].

Agren, K. ;

Andrews, D. J. ;

Buchert, S. C. ;

Coates, A. J. ;

Cowley, S. W. H. ;

Dougherty, M. K. ;

Edberg, N. J. T. ;

Garnier, P. ;

Lewis, G. R. ;

Modolo, R. ;

Opgenoorth, H. ;

Provan, G. ;

Rosenqvist, L. ;

Talboys, D. L. ;

Wahlund, J. -E. ;

Wellbrock, A. .

JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-SPACE PHYSICS, 2011, 116

[3] On the ionospheric structure of Titan [J].

Agren, K. ;

Wahlund, J. -E. ;

Garnier, P. ;

Modolo, R. ;

Cui, J. ;

Galand, M. ;

Mueller-Wodarg, I. .

PLANETARY AND SPACE SCIENCE, 2009, 57 (14-15) :1821-1827

[4] Discovery of heavy negative ions in Titan's ionosphere [J].

Coates, A. J. ;

Crary, F. J. ;

Lewis, G. R. ;

Young, D. T. ;

Waite, J. H., Jr. ;

Sittler, E. C., Jr. .

GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, 2007, 34 (22)

[5] Heavy negative ions in Titan's ionosphere: Altitude and latitude dependence [J].

Coates, A. J. ;

Wellbrock, A. ;

Lewis, G. R. ;

Jones, G. H. ;

Young, D. T. ;

Crary, F. J. ;

Waite, J. H., Jr. .

PLANETARY AND SPACE SCIENCE, 2009, 57 (14-15) :1866-1871

[6] Heavy ions, temperatures and winds in Titan's ionosphere: Combined Cassini CAPS and INMS observations [J].

Crary, F. J. ;

Magee, B. A. ;

Mandt, K. ;

Waite, J. H., Jr. ;

Westlake, J. ;

Young, D. T. .

PLANETARY AND SPACE SCIENCE, 2009, 57 (14-15) :1847-1856

[7] Energetic ion precipitation at Titan [J].

Cravens, T. E. ;

Robertson, I. P. ;

Ledvina, S. A. ;

Mitchell, D. ;

Krimigis, S. M. ;

Waite, J. H., Jr. .

GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, 2008, 35 (03)

[8] Titan's ionosphere:: Model comparisons with Cassini Ta Data -: art. no. L12108 [J].

Cravens, TE ;

Robertson, IP ;

Clark, J ;

Wahlund, JE ;

Waite, JH ;

Ledvina, SA ;

Niemann, HB ;

Yelle, RV ;

Kasprzak, WT ;

Luhmann, JG ;

McNutt, RL ;

Ip, WH ;

De La Haye, V ;

Müller-Wodarg, I ;

Young, DT ;

Coates, AJ .

GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, 2005, 32 (12) :1-5

[9] Diurnal variations of Titan's ionosphere [J].

Cui, J. ;

Galand, M. ;

Yelle, R. V. ;

Vuitton, V. ;

Wahlund, J. -E. ;

Lavvas, P. P. ;

Mueller-Wodarg, I. C. F. ;

Cravens, T. E. ;

Kasprzak, W. T. ;

Waite, J. H., Jr. .

JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-SPACE PHYSICS, 2009, 114

[10] Electron density and temperature measurements in the cold plasma environment of Titan: Implications for atmospheric escape [J].

Edberg, N. J. T. ;

Wahlund, J. -E. ;

Agren, K. ;

Morooka, M. W. ;

Modolo, R. ;

Bertucci, C. ;

Dougherty, M. K. .

GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, 2010, 37

← 1 2 →