HR: 1330h
AN: SM22B-0245    [PDF]
TI: On the Possibility of Detection of Electromagnetic Induction in Titan's Interior
AU: Leisner, J S
EM: jleisner@ess.ucla.edu
AF: Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of California--Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1567 United States
AU: Schubert, G
EM: schubert@ucla.edu
AF: Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of California--Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1567 United States
AU: * Khurana, K K
EM: kkhurana@igpp.ucla.edu
AF: Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California--Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1567 United States
AU: Russell, C T
EM: ctrussell@igpp.ucla.edu
AF: Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of California--Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1567 United States
AU: Russell, C T
EM: ctrussell@igpp.ucla.edu
AF: Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California--Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1567 United States
AB: Electromagnetic induction has been found to occur in Europa and Callisto and has led to the discovery of subsurface liquid water oceans in these bodies. It is possible that this phenomenon has been detected in Ganymede, which may also have an internal ocean. In this presentation, we explore the possibility that electromagnetic induction might occur in Titan and be detectable by the Cassini magnetometer. As Titan orbits Saturn, it experiences two types of changes in the local magnetic field strength: the first is due to Titan's orbital motion within Saturn's magnetosphere, which imposes a periodic total variation of magnitude ~4 nT at Titan's orbital frequency; and the second is an abrupt change of ~6 nT when Titan crosses Saturn's magnetopause, which occurs when the solar wind pressure is great enough that Saturn's magnetopause is pushed within Titan's orbit. We investigate the magnetic field that may be induced due to these variations by modelling Titan as a non-conducting sphere with an embedded conducting layer. We evaluate the Cassini trajectories in order to estimate the possibility of observing an induced field during the Titan flybys.
DE: 2732 Magnetosphere interactions with satellites and rings
DE: 6280 Saturnian satellites
SC: SPA - Magnetospheric Physics [SM]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting