HR: 11:50h
AN: P42A-07    [Abstracts]
TI: A Global Hybrid Model of Titan's Ion Escape
AU: * Sillanpaa, I
EM: ilkka.sillanpaa@fmi.fi
AF: Finnish Meteorological Institute, Space Research P.O.Box 503, HELSINKI, FI-00101 Finland
AU: Kallio, E
EM: esa.kallio@fmi.fi
AF: Finnish Meteorological Institute, Space Research P.O.Box 503, HELSINKI, FI-00101 Finland
AU: Janhunen, P
EM: pekka.janhunen@fmi.fi
AF: Finnish Meteorological Institute, Space Research P.O.Box 503, HELSINKI, FI-00101 Finland
AU: Schmidt, W
EM: walter.schmidt@fmi.fi
AF: Finnish Meteorological Institute, Space Research P.O.Box 503, HELSINKI, FI-00101 Finland
AU: Harri, A
EM: Ari-Matti.Harri@fmi.fi
AF: Finnish Meteorological Institute, Space Research P.O.Box 503, HELSINKI, FI-00101 Finland
AU: Makinen, T
EM: tmakinen@rssd.esa.int
AF: European Space & Technology Centre (ESTEC), Keplerlaan 1 Postbus 299, Noordwijk, 2200 AG Netherlands
AU: Mursula, K
EM: kalevi.mursula@oulu.fi
AF: University of Oulu, Department of Physical Sciences P.O.Box 3000, OULU, FI-90014 Finland
AU: Vilppola, J
EM: jari.vilppola@oulu.fi
AF: University of Oulu, Department of Physical Sciences P.O.Box 3000, OULU, FI-90014 Finland
AU: Tanskanen, P
EM: pekkatanskanen@kolumbus.fi
AF: University of Oulu, Department of Physical Sciences P.O.Box 3000, OULU, FI-90014 Finland
AB: Titan, the largest moon of Saturn and an important target for the Cassini mission, has a unique plasma interaction with the Kronian corotating plasma. Titan's dense and nitrogen rich atmosphere is the primary source of nitrogen torus around the Titan's orbit in the Kronian system through the subsonic and superAlfv‚nic interaction between Saturn's corotating plasma and the exosphere and ionosphere of Titan. We have developed a global numerical model to study the magnetic erosion process at Titan. [Kallio et al., Geoph. Res. Lett., 31, L15703, doi:10.1029/2004GL020344, 2004] Our simulation model is a quasi-neutral hybrid model, which can model both subsonic and supersonic plasma flow. In the presentation we will show analysis based on an improved version of the model that contains four ion species ($H^+, N^+, CH_4^+, N_2^+$) and also mimics the electron impact ionization. We will present runs in which we have studied the effect of the Saturn Local Time on the Titan - co-rotating plasma interaction. Finally, implications of the results for the anticipated scientific return from the Cassini plasma and field instruments will be discussed.
DE: 7843 Numerical simulation studies
DE: 5737 Magnetospheres (2756)
DE: 5780 Tori and exospheres
DE: 6280 Saturnian satellites
SC: Planetary Sciences [P]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting