Physics
Scientific paper
Aug 2007
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007epsc.conf..657w&link_type=abstract
European Planetary Science Congress 2007, Proceedings of a conference held 20-24 August, 2007 in Potsdam, Germany. Online at ht
Physics
Scientific paper
Cassini magnetic measurements on low altitude flybys of Titan have been used to estimate the strength of Titan's intrinsic magnetic field. The resultant upper limit is 1.6nT R3 Ti which is much smaller than the magnetic moment of Ganymede that is 750 nT R3 G These two bodies orbit at similar distances from their primaries but differ greatly in their eccentricities and their external magnetic field environment. The eccentricity of the Titan orbit is 0.029 and of the Ganymede orbit is 0.002. The average external field along the rotation axis of Titan is about 1nT and of Ganymede is about 100nT. The differences in the intrinsic fields of these two bodies suggests that their interiors must be very different. Tidal heating would not be too dissimilar, if both had electrically conducting fluid interiors. So we might a priori expect similar dynamo action. Even if the source of Ganymede's field were simply an amplification of Jupiter's field we might expect a detectable amplified Saturnian field at Titan if the two bodies were similar internally. Thus the data suggest that the interiors of Titan and Ganymede are much different with the Titan interior possibly solid. This would also explain the ability of Titan to remain in its elliptical orbit without circularizing.
Dougherty K. M. K. M.
Neubauer Fritz Manfred
Russell Christopher T.
Weil H. Y.
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