[Baps] BU Seminar 4/15/2010 - Tom Cravens

[Paul Withers]

http://www.bu.edu/dbin/csp/?q=CSP_sked

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [Csp_seminar] Tom Cravens - 4/15/2010
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 2010 09:12:29 -0400
From: Despina Bokios <dbokios at bu.edu>
To: csp_seminar at bu-ast.bu.edu

Center for Space Physics Seminar

Speaker: Tom Cravens
Affiliation: University of Kansas

Title: The Cassini-Huygens Mission to the Saturn System: Recent Results

Date: Thursday, April 15th, 2010
Time: 3:30 PM Refreshments in Room 500, 4:00 PM Talk
Place: 725 Commonwealth Ave. Room 502


Abstract:
The Cassini Orbiter and Huygens probe arrived at Saturn in July 2004
after a seven -year voyage from the Earth. The Huygens probe landed on
the surface of Saturn’s satellite Titan in January 2005. For several
years now, instruments onboard the Orbiter have been measuring the
properties of Saturn, the rings, the magnetosphere, the icy satellites,
and Titan. An overview of mission results will be given in this
colloquium. Particular attention will be paid to measurements of the
composition and structure of the upper atmosphere and ionosphere of
Titan made by the ion and neutral mass spectrometer onboard the Orbiter.
Solar extreme ultraviolet and x-ray radiation and energetic plasma from
Saturn’s magnetosphere interact with the upper atmosphere producing an
ionosphere at Titan. The highly coupled ionosphere and upper atmosphere
system mediates the interaction between Titan and the external
environment. New insights into Titan’s ionosphere are being facilitated
by data from several instruments onboard the Cassini Orbiter, although
the Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS) measurements will be
emphasized in this talk. Measurements and comparisons with a model will
be discussed for both the day and night on Titan. Electron impact
ionization associated with precipitation of magnetospheric electrons
(measured by the electron sensor on the CAPS spectrometer) seems the
likely explanation for the nightside ionosphere but photoionization by
solar radiation is the dominant source on the dayside. Mass spectrometer
results from the Cassini encounter with the rings and with Saturn’s icy
satellite satellite Enceladus will also be discussed briefly.


_______________________________________________
Csp_seminar mailing list
Csp_seminar at skynet.bu.edu
http://skynet.bu.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/csp_seminar

-- 
***********************************************************************
Paul Withers                            Center for Space Physics
Office  +1 617 353 1531                 Boston University
Fax     +1 617 353 6463                 725 Commonwealth Avenue
Email   withers at bu.edu                  Boston MA 02215, USA
***********************************************************************