University of Kansas Cassini Studies

(DRAFT)

Ion Trajectories in Saturn's Magnetosphere Near Titan

The final version of this paper was published in Adv. Space Res., 26, 1691, 2000. Abstract, with link to full article, through ScienceDirect.

ABSTRACT. We numerically determine the trajectories of several ions in the vicinity of Titan using for the required electric and magnetic fields the output from a three-dimensional MHD model of Titan. These trajectories are analyzed to provide insight into the external plasma interaction with that satellite as well as to make predictions for the Cassini Orbiter particle experiments.

• INTRODUCTION
• THE THREE-DIMENSIONAL MHD MODEL
• ION TRAJECTORY CALCULATIONS
• RESULTS -- ION TRAJECTORIES
• CONCLUSIONS
• REFERENCES

Acknowledgments. The research described has been supported by grant NAG5-4358 from the NASA Planetary Atmospheres Program and by NSF grant ATM-94-23120. The Kansas Center for Scientific Computing (NSF EPSCOR/KSTAR) is also acknowledged.

FIGURES:

	Fig. 1. Projected magnetic field vectors and density contours in the xz-plane from the three-dimensional MHD model. There are 20 density contour levels ranging from n = 2.4 cm-3 to n = 48 cm-3 with a spacing of 2.3 cm-3. The magnetic barrier can be seen, as well as the draping of the magnetic field lines. The ambient magnetic field is in the -z direction. The flow is in the x direction.
	Fig. 2. Ambient ion trajectories in both an un-perturbed (dashed line) and a perturbed (solid line) flow. The square indicates the starting positions at z= +25000 km. The projection of each trajectory in the various planes is shown. The projection of the ion's trajectory in the unperturbed flow is represented by the dash-dot-dot-dot curve. The dash-dot curve is the projection of the trajectory of the ion in the perturbed flow. Titan is represented by a sphere, which is projected onto each plane.
	Fig. 3. Pick-up ions created at 1.3 RT in the ram direction. Otherwise the same as Fig. 2.
	Fig. 4. Pick-up ions created in the wake just below the x = 0, y = 0 plane. Otherwise the same as Fig. 2.

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• Space Physics Main Cassini Page
• Cassini website at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

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Last modified March 9, 2007 T. Hunt-Ward tizby@ku.edu