Computer Science
Scientific paper
Aug 2007
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007epsc.conf..632c&link_type=abstract
European Planetary Science Congress 2007, Proceedings of a conference held 20-24 August, 2007 in Potsdam, Germany. Online at ht
Computer Science
Scientific paper
The global averaged H2 density profile throughout Titan's upper atmosphere between 1,150 and 7,600 km is extracted from the Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS) observations of 10 different low altitude Titan flybys of the Cassini orbiter. In Titan's thermosphere between 1,150 km and the exobase level at 1,360 km, the observed H2 distribution can be described by the diffusion model with a best-fit upward flux of 3.6 × 109 cm-2s-1, referred to the exobase. Throughout Titan's exosphere, the H2 density profile can be described by a collisionless model including only ballistic and escaping particles, with a best-fit exospheric H2 temperature of 133 K. This temperature is lower than Titan's thermospheric temperature of 144 K, derived from the N2 distribution below the exobase. This may be interpreted as the outcome of energy continuity in the transition layer between the collision-dominated thermosphere and collision-free exosphere. The derived exospheric H2 temperature corresponds to a Jeans escape flux of 1.2×109cm-2s-1 at the exobase. A comparison with the upward flux estimated from the diffusion theory implies that either nonthermal processes or Saturn's gravitional field may play an importat role in the enhanced escape of H2 from Titan.
Cui Jiajia
Yelle Roger V.
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