Wavelike perturbations in Titan’s ionosphere and their compositional variation:A preliminary survey of Cassini Ion Neutral Mass Spectrometer measurements  

作　　者：ShiQi Wu DanDan Niu WeiQin Sun XiaoShu Wu HaoYu Lu Jun Cui 

机构地区：[1]School of Space and Environment,Beihang University,Beijing 100191,China [2]Institute of Space Science and Applied Technology,Harbin Institute of Technology,Shenzhen 518055,Guangdong,China [3]Planetary Environmental and Astrobiological Research Laboratory(PEARL),School of Atmospheric Sciences,Sun Yat-sen University,Zhuhai 519082,Guangdong,China [4]Center for Excellence in Comparative Planetology,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Hefei 230026,China

出　　处：《Earth and Planetary Physics》2022年第6期522-528,共7页地球与行星物理（英文版）

基　　金：supported by the B-type Strategic Priority Program No. XDB41000000;funded by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the pre-research projects on Civil Aerospace Technologies No.s D020105 and D020103;funded by China’s National Space Administration;support from the National Science Foundation of China through grants 42030201, 41904154 and 42104170

摘　　要：Wavelike perturbations in the ionosphere of Titan,the largest satellite of Saturn,are explored based on the Cassini Ion Neutral Mass Spectrometer(INMS)measurements.Strong wavelike perturbations are identified for more than twenty ion species,from simple ones such as N^(+)and CH_(4)^(+)to complex ones such as C_(2)H_(3)CNH^(+)and C_(4)H_(7)^(+).Simultaneous wavelike perturbations in background N_(2),indicative of atmospheric gravity waves,are also observed,motivating us to speculate that the INMS-derived ion perturbations are wave-driven.The amplitudes of the ion perturbations are found to be larger than that of the N_(2)perturbations.Clear compositional variation is revealed by the data:heavier ion species exhibit greater amplitudes.Such observations might be understood based on considerations either of force balance or chemical loss in Titan’s ionosphere.

关 键 词：TITAN atmospheric gravity waves ionospheric perturbations ionospheric composition CASSINI 

分 类 号：P352.7[天文地球—空间物理学]