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Titan's Magnetic Field Signature During the First Cassini Encounter

Authors :
Nicolas André
Krishan K. Khurana
Heiko Backes
Michele K. Dougherty
Chris S. Arridge
Nicholas Achilleos
Alexandre Wennmacher
Geraint H. Jones
Christopher T. Russell
Cesar Bertucci
Fritz M. Neubauer
Source :
Science. 308:992-995
Publication Year :
2005
Publisher :
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), 2005.

Abstract

The magnetic field signature obtained by Cassini during its first close encounter with Titan on 26 October 2004 is presented and explained in terms of an advanced model. Titan was inside the saturnian magnetosphere. A magnetic field minimum before closest approach marked Cassini's entry into the magnetic ionopause layer. Cassini then left the northern and entered the southern magnetic tail lobe. The magnetic field before and after the encounter was approximately constant for ∼20 Titan radii, but the field orientation changed exactly at the location of Titan's orbit. No evidence of an internal magnetic field at Titan was detected.

Details

ISSN :
10959203 and 00368075
Volume :
308
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Science
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....179f4c3a5dd7a6af93f0df4fdcd2c010