Ionospheric electrons in Titan's tail: Plasma structure during the Cassini T9 encounter
Open Access
- 18 October 2007
- journal article
- space sciences
- Published by American Geophysical Union (AGU) in Geophysical Research Letters
- Vol. 34 (24)
Abstract
We present results from the CAPS electron spectrometer obtained during the downstream flyby of Titan on 26 December 2005, which occurred during a period of enhanced plasma pressure inside the magnetosphere. The electron data show an unusual split signature with two principal intervals of interest outside the nominal corotation wake. Interval 1 shows direct evidence for ionospheric plasma escape at several RT in Titan's tail. Interval 2 shows a complex plasma structure, a mix between plasma of ionospheric and magnetospheric origin. We suggest a mechanism for plasma escape based on ambipolar electric fields set up by suprathermal ionospheric photoelectrons.Keywords
This publication has 24 references indexed in Scilit:
- Structure of Titan's mid‐range magnetic tail: Cassini magnetometer observations during the T9 flybyGeophysical Research Letters, 2007
- Charged particle environment of Titan during the T9 flybyGeophysical Research Letters, 2007
- Cold ionospheric plasma in Titan's magnetotailGeophysical Research Letters, 2007
- Far plasma wake of Titan from the RPWS observations: A case studyGeophysical Research Letters, 2007
- Carbon dioxide photoelectron energy peaks at MarsIcarus, 2006
- Titan's ionosphere: Model comparisons with Cassini Ta dataGeophysical Research Letters, 2005
- Evidence for rotationally driven plasma transport in Saturn's magnetosphereGeophysical Research Letters, 2005
- Titan's Magnetic Field Signature During the First Cassini EncounterScience, 2005
- Titan's ion exosphere wake: A natural ion mass spectrometer?Journal of Geophysical Research, 1996
- The polar windReviews of Geophysics, 1996