HR: 1340h
AN: P43A-1005    [Abstracts]
TI: Simulation of the Effect of Titan's Induced Magnetosphere on the Kronian Magnetosphere: Titan mass losses and Kronian mass loading
AU: * Snowden, D
EM: dsnowden@washington.edu
AF: University of Washington, Box 351310, Seattle, WA 98195, United States
AU: Winglee, R
EM: winglee@ess.washington.edu
AF: University of Washington, Box 351310, Seattle, WA 98195, United States
AB: Using a coupled 3-D multi-fluid simulation of the Saturn-Titan plasma interaction we investigate mass loss from Titan and mass loading of the Kronian magnetosphere. The multi-fluid method is ideal for studying Titan's plasma interaction because it incorporates ion cyclotron effects and each fluid species has an independent velocity, energy, and mass. The Saturn-Titan simulation has excellent resolution both in Saturn's inner magnetosphere and around Titan. We will compare mass loss from Titan and the morphology of Titan's ion tail and mass loading region for Titan in Saturn's dayside and nightside magnetosphere. It is shown that Titan is able to produce substantial mass loading to the Kronian system with a plasmatail extending several Saturn radii in length. However, global convection within the Kronian magnetosphere can cause the plasma tail from Titan to move substantially in radial distance so that only a partial plasma torus can develop. The different properties of Titan's plasma response with respect to position within the Kronian magnetosphere are contrasted.
DE: 2732 Magnetosphere interactions with satellites and rings
DE: 2736 Magnetosphere/ionosphere interactions (2431)
DE: 6281 Titan
DE: 6295 Venus
SC: Planetary Sciences [P]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting