An empirical model for the plasma environment along Titan's orbit based on Cassini plasma observations
An empirical model for the plasma environment along Titan's orbit based on Cassini plasma observations
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DOI：
10.1002/2014ja019872
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发表时间：
2014-07
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
H. Smith;A. Rymer
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
H. Smith;A. Rymer
在卡西尼号到达土星之前，土卫六上富含氮的致密大气被认为是土星磁层中重离子的重要来源，如果不是主要来源的话。虽然根据卡西尼号的观测，在土星的磁层中发现了氮，但土卫二而不是土卫六似乎是主要来源。然而，很难想象土卫六的稠密大气不是氮的来源。在本文中，我们将Rymer等人（2009）的土卫六等离子体环境分类模型应用于土卫六不存在时沿土卫六轨道的等离子体环境。接下来，我们对自Rymer et al.（2009）以来发生的土卫六遭遇进行分类。我们还建立了一个经验模型，用于应用每个等离子体环境的概率作为土星当地时间（SLT）的函数。最后，我们总结了电子能谱，以便更准确地计算每个等离子体环境类别的电子-碰撞相互作用速率。这种完全分类与SLT和电子谱经验模型的结合对于理解磁层等离子体至关重要，并将允许更准确地建模土卫六等离子体环面。
Prior to Cassini's arrival at Saturn, the nitrogen‐rich dense atmosphere of Titan was considered as a significant, if not dominant, source of heavy ions in Saturn's magnetosphere. While nitrogen was detected in Saturn's magnetosphere based on Cassini observations, Enceladus instead of Titan appears to be the primary source. However, it is difficult to imagine that Titan's dense atmosphere is not a source of nitrogen. In this paper, we apply the Rymer et al.'s (2009) Titan plasma environment categorization model to the plasma environment along Titan's orbit when Titan is not present. We next categorize the Titan encounters that occurred since Rymer et al. (2009). We also produce an empirical model for applying the probabilistic occurrence of each plasma environment as a function of Saturn local time (SLT). Finally, we summarized the electron energy spectra in order to allow one to calculate more accurate electron‐impact interaction rates for each plasma environment category. The combination of this full categorization versus SLT and empirical model for the electron spectrum is critical for understanding the magnetospheric plasma and will allow for more accurate modeling of the Titan plasma torus.