The upper ionosphere of Titan |
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| Authors: | RC Whitten LA Capone L McCulley PF Michelson |
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| Institution: | Space Science Division, Ames Research Center, NASA, Moffett Field, California 94035, USA;Informatics, Inc., Palo Alto, California 94303, USA;Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA |
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| Abstract: | Photoionization of the upper atmosphere of Titan by sunlight is expected to produce a substantial ionospheric layer. We have solved one-dimensional forms of the mass, momentum, and energy conservation equations for ions and electrons and have obtained electron number densities of about 103 cm?3, using various model atmospheres. The significant ions in a CH4H2 atmosphere are H+, H3+, CH5+, CH5+, CH3+, and C2H5+. Electron temperatures may be as high as 1000°K, depending on the abundance of hydrogen in the high atmosphere. Interaction of the solar wind with the ionosphere is also discussed. |
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