| 1. |
- Bertucci, C., et al.
(författare)
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Structure of Titan's mid-range magnetic tail : Cassini magnetometer observations during the T9 flyby
- 2007
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Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 34:24, s. L24S02-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We analyze the magnetic structure of Titan's mid-range magnetic tail (5-6 Titan radii downstream from the moon) during Cassini's T9 flyby. Cassini magnetometer (MAG) measurements reveal a well-defined, induced magnetic tail consisting of two lobes and a distinct central current sheet. MAG observations also indicate that Saturn's background magnetic field is close to the moon's orbital plane and that the magnetospheric flow has a significant component in the Saturn-Titan direction. The analysis of MAG data in a coordinate system based on the orientation of the background magnetic field and an estimation of the incoming flow direction suggests that Titan's magnetic tail is extremely asymmetric. An important source of these asymmetries is the connection of the inbound tail lobe and the outbound tail lobe to the dayside and nightside hemispheres of Titan, respectively. Another source could be the perturbations generated by changes in the upstream conditions.
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| 2. |
- Buchert, Stephan, et al.
(författare)
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SWARM observations of equatorial electron densities and topside GPS track losses
- 2015
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Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 42:7, s. 2088-2092
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The SWARM satellites have both upward looking GPS receivers and Langmuir probes. The receivers repeatedly lost track of the L1 band signal in January-February 2014 at postsunset hours, when SWARM was at nearly 500km altitude. This indicates that the signal was disturbed by ionospheric irregularities at this height and above. The track losses occurred right at density gradients associated with equatorial plasma bubbles and predominantly where the measured background density was highest. The signal showed strong phase scintillations rather than in amplitude, indicating that SWARM might be in the near field of an ionospheric phase screen. Density biteouts, depletions between steep gradients, were up to almost 3 orders of magnitude deep in the background of a more shallow trough centered at the magnetic equator. Comparison between satellites shows that the biteout structure strongly varied in longitude over approximate to 100km and has in north-south steep walls.
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| 3. |
- Cravens, T. E., et al.
(författare)
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The Ion Composition of Saturn's Equatorial Ionosphere as Observed by Cassini
- 2019
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Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 46:12, s. 6315-6321
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Cassini Orbiter made the first in situ measurements of the upper atmosphere and ionosphere of Saturn in 2017. The Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS) found molecular hydrogen and helium as well as minor species including water, methane, ammonia, and organics. INMS ion mode measurements of light ion species (H+, H-2(+), H-3(+), and He+) and Radio and Plasma Wave Science instrument measurements of electron densities are presented. A photochemical analysis of the INMS and Radio and Plasma Wave Science data indicates that the major ion species near the ionospheric peak must be heavy and molecular with a short chemical lifetime. A quantitative explanation of measured H+ and H-3(+) densities requires that they chemically react with one or more heavy neutral molecular species that have mixing ratios of about 100 ppm.
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| 4. |
- Edberg, Niklas, et al.
(författare)
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Electron density and temperature measurements in the cold plasma environment of Titan : Implications for atmospheric escape
- 2010
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Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 37:20, s. L20105-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present electron temperature and density measurements of Titan's cold ionospheric plasma from the Langmuir probe instrument on Cassini from 52 flybys. An expression of the density as a function of temperature is presented for altitudes below two Titan radii. The density falls off exponentially with increased temperature as log(n(e)) = -2.0log(T-e) + 0.6 on average around Titan. We show that this relation varies with location around Titan as well as with the solar illumination direction. Significant heating of the electrons appears to take place on the night/wake side of Titan as the density-temperature relation is less steep there. Furthermore, we show that the magnetospheric ram pressure is not balanced by the thermal and magnetic pressure in the topside ionosphere and discuss its implications for plasma escape. The cold ionospheric plasma of Titan extends to higher altitudes in the wake region, indicating the loss of atmosphere down the induced magnetospheric tail.
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| 5. |
- Edberg, Niklas J. T., et al.
(författare)
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Extreme densities in Titan's ionosphere during the T85 magnetosheath encounter
- 2013
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Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 40:12, s. 2879-2883
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present Cassini Langmuir probe measurements of the highest electron number densities ever reported from the ionosphere of Titan. The measured density reached 4310cm(-3) during the T85 Titan flyby. This is at least 500cm(-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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| 6. |
- Edberg, Niklas J. T., et al.
(författare)
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Spatial distribution of low-energy plasma around comet 67P/CG from Rosetta measurements
- 2015
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Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 42:11, s. 4263-4269
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We use measurements from the Rosetta plasma consortium Langmuir probe and mutual impedance probe to study the spatial distribution of low-energy plasma in the near-nucleus coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The spatial distribution is highly structured with the highest density in the summer hemisphere and above the region connecting the two main lobes of the comet, i.e., the neck region. There is a clear correlation with the neutral density and the plasma to neutral density ratio is found to be approximate to 1-210(-6), at a cometocentric distance of 10km and at 3.1AU from the Sun. A clear 6.2h modulation of the plasma is seen as the neck is exposed twice per rotation. The electron density of the collisionless plasma within 260km from the nucleus falls off with radial distance as approximate to 1/r. The spatial structure indicates that local ionization of neutral gas is the dominant source of low-energy plasma around the comet.
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| 7. |
- Edberg, Niklas J. T., et al.
(författare)
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Titan's Variable Ionosphere During the T118 and T119 Cassini Flybys
- 2018
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Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 45:17, s. 8721-8728
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report on unusual dynamics in Titan's ionosphere as a significant difference in ionospheric electron density is observed between the T118 and T119 Cassini nightside flybys. Two distinct nightside electron density peaks were present during T118, at 1,150 and 1,200km, and the lowest density ever observed in Titan's ionosphere at altitudes 1,000-1,350km was during T118. These flybys were quite similar in geometry, Saturn local time, neutral density, extreme ultraviolet flux, and ambient magnetic field conditions. Despite this, the Radio and Plasma Waves/Langmuir Probe measured a density difference up to a factor of 6 between the passes. The overall difference was present and similar during both inbound and outbound legs. By ruling out other factors, we suggest that an exceptionally low rate of particle impact ionization in combination with dynamics in the ionosphere is the explanation for the observations. Plain Language Summary Using the Cassini satellite in orbit around Saturn, we make measurements during two close passes of the moon Titan. We observe how the electron density in the uppermost part of the moon's atmosphere-the ionosphere-changes drastically from one pass to the next. We also observe unexpectedly high peaks of electron density in a specific altitude range during the first pass. The findings are attributed to low influx of charged particles from Saturn's magnetosphere as well as to increased dynamics of the plasma in the ionosphere. The study emphasizes the complexity of the physical process at play at the moon and aims at gaining further understanding of this environment.
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| 8. |
- Farrell, W. M., et al.
(författare)
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Electron density dropout near Enceladus in the context of water-vapor and water-ice
- 2009
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Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 36:10, s. L10203-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- On 12 March 2008, the Cassini spacecraft made a close encounter with the Saturnian moon Enceladus, passing within 52 km of the moon. The spacecraft trajectory was intentionally-oriented in a southerly direction to create a close alignment with the intense water-dominated plumes emitted from the south polar region. During the passage, the Cassini Radio and Plasma Wave System (RPWS) detected two distinct radio signatures: 1) Impulses associated with small water-ice dust grain impacts and 2) an upper hybrid (UH) resonance emission that both intensified and displayed a sharp frequency decrease in the near-vicinity of the moon. The frequency decrease of the UH emission is associated with an unexpectedly sharp decrease in electron density from similar to 90 cl/cm(3) to below 20 cl/cm(3) that occurs on a time scale of a minute near the closest encounter with the moon. In this work, we consider a number of scenarios to explain this sharp electron dropout, but surmise that electron absorption by ice grains is the most likely process.
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| 9. |
- Farrell, W. M., et al.
(författare)
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Mass unloading along the inner edge of the Enceladus plasma torus
- 2008
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Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 35:2, s. L02203-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A major discovery made by the Cassini spacecraft at Saturn was the substantial mass ejection from the south pole of Enceladus. Previous studies show that this ejected gas can become ionized and subsequently load mass onto the connecting magnetic field lines near the moon. Radial diffusion then allows the mass-loaded field lines to move outward to similar to 15 R-s and inward to similar to 2 R-s, forming a plasma torus. We demonstrate herein that the mass is also '' unloaded '' along the inner edge of this plasma torus the edge incident with the plasma-absorbing A-ring. Interpreting down-drifting z-mode tones from active sites along the inner edge of the ion torus as emission near the local electron plasma frequency, f(pe), we can remotely-monitor this reduction in plasma density along the torus inner edge as a function time. We find that the down-drift of the z-mode tones corresponds typically to a plasma density change dn/dt similar to - 5x10(-4)/cm(3)-s and when integrated over an annulus defined by the outer edge of the A-ring, corresponds to a mass loss of similar to 40 kg/s. Using the z-mode tones, we also find locations where plasma mass from the ring-ionosphere is possibly loaded at 1 - 2 kg/s onto field lines near the Cassini gap.
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| 10. |
- Farrell, W. M., et al.
(författare)
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Modification of the plasma in the near-vicinity of Enceladus by the enveloping dust
- 2010
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Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 37:20, s. L20202-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The plasma near Saturn's equator is quasi-corotating, but those fluid elements entering the near-vicinity of the moon Enceladus become uniquely modified. Besides the solid body, the Moon has a surrounding dust envelop that we show herein to be detected similar to 20 Enceladus radii (1 R-E = 252 km) both north and south of the body. Previous reports indicate that corotating plasma slows down substantially in the near-vicinity of Enceladus. We show herein that the commencement of this plasma slow down matches closely with Cassini's entry into the dense portions of the enveloping dust in the northern hemisphere above the Moon. We also examine in detail the source of the dust about 400 km above the south polar fissures. We find that a large positive potential must exist between the south pole of the moon and the spacecraft to account for ions streaming away from the pole on connecting magnetic field lines.
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