[Baps] BU seminar 2/9 Jared Bell (SwRI) - Titan

[Paul Withers]

Speaker: Jared Bell

Affiliation: SwRI

Title: Modeling the Three-Dimensional Upper Atmosphere of Titan:
Comparisons with the Cassini-Huygens Ion-Neutral Mass Spectrometer

Date: Thursday, Feb 9, 2012

Time: 3:30 PM Refreshments in CAS 500, 4:00 PM Talk

Place: 725 Commonwealth Ave. CAS 502

Abstract:

Titan, the largest moon of Saturn and the 2^nd largest in our solar
system, is the only other terrestrial body with a substantial N_2
atmosphere besides Earth. The presence of Methane atmosphere leads to
the formation of a multitude of large neutral and ionized organic
molecules seen by the Cassini Ion-Neutral Mass Spectrometer instrument
(Cassini INMS). This complex Nitrogen and Methane chemistry has led some
to speculate that Titan could represent a cryogenic version of a
pre-biotic Earth. This makes Titan a unique case in our solar system,
and a possible window back into the past of our own planet.

In this talk, I will discuss some of the many fascinating discoveries
made by the Cassini INMS instrument, focusing on the thermosphere and
ionosphere. I will also describe a three-dimensional model, the Titan
Global Ionosphere-Thermosphere Model (T-GITM) that is currently being
used to test various hypotheses about the physics underlying the Cassini
INMS observations. This model combines calculations of the chemistry,
dynamics, and energy balance into a single self-consistent framework,
allowing us to test the potential feedbacks different atmospheric processes.

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