Simulating the one-dimensional structure of Titan's upper atmosphere: 3. Mechanisms determining methane escape

Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets

Volumn 116, Issue 11, 2011, Pages

  Bell, Jared M ^a   Bougher, Stephen W ^b   Waite, J Hunter ^a   Ridley, Aaron J ^b   Magee, Brian A ^a   Mandt, Kathleen E ^a,c   Westlake, Joseph ^c   Dejong, Anna D ^a   Bar Nun, Akiva ^d   Jacovi, Ronen ^e   Toth, Gabor ^b   De La Haye, Virginie ^a   Gell, David ^a   Fletcher, Gregory ^a  

^a SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE   (United States)

^b UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN   (United States)

^c UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO   (United States)

^d TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY   (Israel)

^e CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY; GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY; IONOSPHERE; MAGNETOSPHERE; METHANE; MIXING RATIO; NUMERICAL MODEL; ONE-DIMENSIONAL MODELING; PLANETARY ATMOSPHERE; QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS; SATELLITE DATA; THERMOSPHERE; TITAN;

EID: 79953238181     PISSN: 01480227     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1029/2010JE003639     Document Type: Article

References (32)

1. Achterberg, R. K., B. J. Conrath, P. J. Gierasch, F. M. Flasar, and C. A. Nixon (2008), Titan's middle-atmospheric temperatures and dynamics observed by the Cassini Composite Infrared Spectrometer, Icarus, 194, 263-277, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2007.09.029.
2. Atreya, S. K. (1986), Atmospheres and Ionospheres of the Outer Planets and Their Satellites, Phys. Chem. Space, vol. 15, Springer, Berlin.
3. Bar-Nun, A., V. Dimitrov, and M. Tomasko (2008), Titan's aerosols: Comparison between our model and DISR findings, Planet. Space Sci., 56, 708-714, doi:10.1016/j.pss.2007.11.014.
4. Bell, J. M., et al. (2010a), Simulating the one-dimensional structure of Titan's upper atmosphere: 1. Formulation of the Titan Global Ionosphere-Thermosphere Model and benchmark simulations, J. Geophys. Res., 115, E12002, doi:10.1029/2010JE003636.
5. Bell, J. M., et al. (2010b), Simulating the one-dimensional structure of Titan's upper atmosphere: 2. Alternative scenarios for methane escape, J. Geophys. Res., 115, E12018, doi:10.1029/2010JE003638.
6. Bell, J. M., J. Westlake, and J. H. Waite Jr. (2011), Simulating the timedependent response of Titan's upper atmosphere to periods of magnetospheric forcing, Geophys. Res. Lett., 38, L06202, doi:10.1029/2010GL046420.
7. Crary, F. J., H. T. Smith, D. Reisenfeld, and D. T. Young (2010), Upper limits on carbon group ions near the orbit of Titan: Implications for methane escape from Titan, paper presented at the 38th Scientific Assembly, Comm. on Space Res., Bremen, Germany, 15-18 July.
8. De La Haye, V., J. H. Waite, T. E. Cravens, I. P. Robertson, and S. Lebonnois (2008), Coupled ion and neutral rotating model of Titan's upper atmosphere, Icarus, 197, 110-136, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2008.03.022.
9. Deng, Y., A. D. Richmond, A. J. Ridley, and H.-L. Liu (2008), Assessment of the non-hydrostatic effect on the upper atmosphere using a general circulation model (GCM), Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L01104, doi:10.1029/ 2007GL032182. (Pubitemid 351459805)
10. Fulchignoni, M., et al. (2005), In situ measurements of the physical characteristics of Titan's environment, Nature, 438, 785-791, doi:10.1038/nature04314. (Pubitemid 41753055)
11. 2 from Titan, J. Atmos. Sci., 30, 726-732.
12. Krasnopolsky, V. A. (2009), A photochemical model of Titan's atmosphere and ionosphere, Icarus, 201, 226-256, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2008.12.038.
13. Krasnopolsky, V. A. (2010), The photochemical model of Titan's atmosphere and ionosphere: A version without hydrodynamic escape, Planet. Space Sci., 58, 1507-1515, doi:10.1016/j.pss.2010.07.010.
14. Liang, M.-C., A. N. Heays, B. R. Lewis, S. T. Gibson, and Y. L. Yung (2007a), Source of nitrogen isotope anomaly in HCN in the atmosphere of Titan, Astrophys. J., 664, L115-L118, doi:10.1086/520881.
15. Liang, M.-C., Y. L. Yung, and D. E. Shemansky (2007b), Photolytically generated aerosols in the mesosphere and thermosphere of Titan, Astrophys. J., 661, L199-L202, doi:10.1086/518785.
16. Magee, B. A., J. H. Waite, K. E. Mandt, J. Westlake, J. Bell, and D. A. Gell (2009), INMS-derived composition of Titan's upper atmosphere: Analysis methods and model comparison, Planet. Space Sci., 57, 1895-1916, doi:10.1016/j.pss.2009.06.016.
17. Mandt, K. E., J. H. Waite, W. Lewis, B. Magee, J. Bell, J. Lunine, O. Mousis, and D. Cordier (2009), Isotopic evolution of the major constituents of Titan's atmosphere based on Cassini data, Planet. Space Sci., 57, 1917-1930, doi:10.1016/j.pss.2009.06.005.
18. Niemann, H. B., et al. (2005), The abundances of constituents of Titan's atmosphere from the GCMS instrument on the Huygens probe, Nature, 438, 779-784, doi:10.1038/nature04122. (Pubitemid 41753054)
19. Niemann, H. B., S. K. Atreya, J. E. Demick, D. Gautier, J. A. Haberman, D. N. Harpold, W. T. Kasprzak, J. I. Lunine, T. C. Owen, and F. Raulin (2010), The composition of Titan's lower atmosphere and simple surface volatiles as measured by the Cassini-Huygens probe gas chromatograph mass spectrometer experiment, J. Geophys. Res., 115, E12006, doi:10.1029/2010JE003659.
20. Schunk, R., and A. F. Nagy (2000), Ionospheres, Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, U. K.
21. Smith, H. T., R. E. Johnson, M. E. Perry, A. M. Rymer, and T. A. Cassidy (2009), The influence of neutrals on Saturn's magnetosphere, paper presented at Magnetospheres of the Outer Planets, Univ. of Cologne, Cologne, Germany, 27-31 July.
22. Strobel, D. F. (2008), Titan's hydrodynamically escaping atmosphere, Icarus, 193, 588-594, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2007.08.014.
23. Strobel, D. F. (2009), Titan's hydrodynamically escaping atmosphere: Escape rates and the structure of the exobase region, Icarus, 202, 632-641, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2009.03.007.
24. Strobel, D. F. (2010), Molecular hydrogen in Titan's atmosphere: Implications of the measured tropospheric and thermospheric mole fractions, Icarus, 208, 878-886, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2010.03.003.
25. 2 in Titan's atmosphere derived from Cassini/CIRS data, Icarus, 186, 364-384, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2006.09.024.
26. Tian, F., J. F. Kasting, H. Liu, and R. G. Roble (2008), Hydrodynamic planetary thermosphere model: 1. Response of the Earth's thermosphere to extreme solar EUV conditions and the significance of adiabatic cooling, J. Geophys. Res., 113, E05008, doi:10.1029/2007JE002946.
27. Tucker, O. J., and R. E. Johnson (2009), Thermally driven atmospheric escape: Monte Carlo simulations for Titan's atmosphere, Planet. Space Sci., 57, 1889-1894, doi:10.1016/j.pss.2009.06.003.
28. Vervack, R. J., B. R. Sandel, and D. F. Strobel (2004), New perspectives on Titan's upper atmosphere from a reanalysis of the Voyager 1 UVS solar occultations, Icarus, 170, 91-112, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2004.03.005. (Pubitemid 38955867)
29. Waite, J. H., et al. (2004), The Cassini Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS) investigation, Space Sci. Rev., 114, 113-231, doi:10.1007/s11214-004-1408-2. (Pubitemid 40468864)
30. Wilson, E. H., and S. K. Atreya (2004), Current state of modeling the photochemistry of Titan's mutually dependent atmosphere and ionosphere, J. Geophys. Res., 109, E06002, doi:10.1029/2003JE002181. (Pubitemid 39169196)
31. Yelle, R. V., J. Cui, and I. C. F. Müller-Wodarg (2008), Methane escape from Titan's atmosphere, J. Geophys. Res., 113, E10003, doi:10.1029/2007JE003031.
32. Yung, Y. L., M. Allen, and J. P. Pinto (1984), Photochemistry of the atmosphere of Titan: Comparison between model and observations, Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser., 55, 465-506, doi:10.1086/190963.