Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Oct 2007
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007dps....39.4701s&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #39, #47.01; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 39, p.505
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
Cassini UVIS occultations at Titan have provided measurements of atmospheric structure in the altitude range 2000 km - 300 km at several latitudes and longitudes. The molecular nitrogen abundance has been measured to 350 km above the exobase with apparent temperatures close to 200 K. Vertical profiles of hydrocarbons and nitriles show distinct dependence on latitude. Extinction by aerosols have been measured for the first time over the altitude range 100 km - 300 km, indicating abundance latitude dependence below 500 km, and large scale heights above 500 km. Derived vertical abundances of the higher order species shows significantly declining mixing ratios below altitudes ranging from 750 km to 550 km. C2H2 follows the atmospheric scale of CH4 over the range 800 km to 1000 km. C2H4/CH4 abundance mixing ratios show latitudinal abundance variation by as much as a factor of 4. At latitude -35o the abundance of CH4 is depleted in the sunlit atmosphere above 880 km relative to the darkside, and higher order species by factors of 2 to 4. Below 880 km CH4 shows no longitude dependence, but higher order species remain depleted in the subsolar atmosphere. Aerosol extinction is unchanged at latitude -35o, independent of longitude and the 2 year span between observations. Model atmospheres have been calculated. Physical chemistry models including atmospheric dynamics have been calculated using the observed latitudinally dependent distributions as constraints. Limits on the processes of formation and lifetimes of aerosols based on the observed profiles will be discussed.
This work is supported by the Cassini and the NASA PATM Programs
Liang Manlai
Shemansky Don E.
Yung Yuk L.
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