1. SATURN’S MYSTERIOUS MOON TITAN

2. Why are Saturn and Titan Important
Saturn is a miniature Solar System

3. Titan is Similar to Young(?) Earth
Atmosphere
1.5xas thick as earth’s
Mostly nitrogen, like earth
6% methane plus other hydrocarbons

4. 33 Moons Known around Saturn

5. But, Titan earns it’s name
Titan is the largest of Saturn's moons, and is the second largest moon in the solar system. Titan is a complex world more similar to Earth, Mars or Venus than it is to outer planets

6. Cassini Mission Arrived Last Summer

7. Saturn Up Close

8. Rings

9. Titan Observations- through time
Recent…
Long ago…
Not so long ago…

10. Recent…
SOI PIA 03883

11. 

12. Latest Views from Close Encounter Yesterday

13. Titan

14. First Shots from Latest Encounter

15. Titan Lander (Cassini) January 14

16. Much More Exploration at Saturn
Four more years of study
76 orbits of Saturn
45 more encounters with Titan

18. TOST Summary 46 Titan flybys
Scattered throughout the tour but 2006 and 2007 are the heaviest
T0 July (350,000 km) flyby - hours after SOI
TA Oct of first RADAR SAR image, Huygens Landing site imaging
TB Dec of ORS flyby
Huygens mission Jan 2005
Mainly ORS observations during the inbound and outbound time wings
Closest approach varies between RADAR observations of the surface, ORS observations of the surface, limb, or upper atmosphere, Radio Science occultations and bi-static observations, or INMS in-situ observations of the atmosphere.
Pushing the spacecraft
Over half of the Titan flybys are on thrusters (hydrazine usage is an issue)
Power modes during Radio Science experiments usually unique
Attitude profile during a Titan flyby is ambitious
Always fill both SSRs!
4 broad science themes:
Interior Structure
Surface Characterization
Atmospheric Properties
Magnetospheric Interactions

19. Atmosphere de Titan

20. 4 Broad Science Themes Interior Structure Surface Characterization
Mass was determined by Voyager. We assume Titan has differentiated into core, mantel and crust, but what are the dimensions of each?
Gravity Field experiments by Radio Science
Does Titan have its own internal magnetic field?
Surface Characterization
Surfaces of solid bodies in the solar system are altered primarily by three processes: impact cratering, volcanism, and tectonics. Erosion may also play a role on bodies with atmospheres.
Like other moons in the outer solar system, Titan is expected to have a predominantly water ice crust. Water at the temperatures in the outer solar system is as solid and strong as rock.
Liquids on Titan’s surface:
Hydrocarbons in Titan's atmosphere pass some amount of time as the aerosol haze obscuring the surface, gradually drifting to the surface.
Theoretically, they should accumulate on the surface, and, over the life of the solar system, would produce a global ocean of ethane, acetylene, propane, etc., with an average depth of up to 1 km. THIS IS AN IRREVERSIBLE PROCESS and the current quantity of CH4 in Titan's atmosphere, if it isn't re-supplied will be used up in 10 million years.
Recent earth-based results suggest that there are local regions of liquids
RADAR and the orbiter imagers will observe the surface through wavelength “windows”

21. 4 Broad Science Themes Atmospheric Properties
Titan’s smoggy atmosphere: dominant atmospheric constituent is nitrogen (N2), Methane (CH4) represents (very) roughly 6%. Surface pressure is 1.5 bars, 50% greater than that of Earth, in spite of Titan's smaller size, and the opacity of Titan's atmosphere is caused by photochemical smog
What is the source of the nitrogen in Titan’s atmosphere?
How is methane supplied to Titan’s atmosphere?
The orbiter’s spectrometers will detect chemical species, look for absorption features in spectra acquired from stellar and solar occultations.
The orbiter imagers will study circulation by tracking clouds. Temperature profiles and thermal maps influence Titan’s weather.
Composition of ions and neutrals very high measured in-situe by INMS
Magnetospheric Interactions
Titan orbits Saturn at a distance of ~ Saturn radii.
This puts Titan in the magnetosphere of Saturn most of the time, but occasionally outside in the solar wind.
When Titan is in Saturn's magnetosphere it affects the configuration of the magnetosphere:
Saturn's magnetic field lines were observed to "drape" around Titan.
The "plasma" (energetic charged particles) flowing into and around Titan produces a wake similar to that of a boat speeding through water.

22. TA - October 26, 2004
Closest approach is 1200km (altitude) on T15:30:21 (Spacecraft Event Time, UTC) on thrusters
Inbound illumination is lit, closest appoach to Saturn (periapsis) follows 2 days later
TA Data received on Earth between 6:30pm and 3:30am on October 26th Mbits Total
Science Highlights:
First SAR (Synthetic Aperature RADAR) imaging of Titan’s surface.
Sample the upper fringes of Titan’s atmosphere with INMS
First very close orbiter imaging including Huygens landing site. Very low phase angle (15-36 degrees)
Inbound and outbound atmospheric investigations to support atmospheric modeling of Titan’s atmosphere for Huygens Mission

23. SUMMARY
THE EXPLORATION OF TITAN IS AT THE VERY HEART OF THE CASSINI / HUYGENS PLANETARY MISSION.
TITAN IS THE SOLE FOCUS OF THE HUYGENS PROBE AND ONE OF THE MAIN TARGETS OF THE CASSINI ORBITER.
By combining the results from the Cassini mission with Earth-based astronomical observations, laboratory experiments and computer modeling, scientists hope to answer basic questions regarding the origin and evolution of Titan's atmosphere, the nature of the surface, and the structure of its interior.