Space & Planetary Physics: Titan's interaction with Saturn

Event Details

Titan's interaction with Saturn By Dr Cesar Bertucci - Institute for Astronomy and Space Physics University of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Titan's interaction with Saturn

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Dr Cesar Bertucci

Institute for Astronomy and Space Physics

University of Buenos Aires, Argentina

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Monday 25 September at 2pm

Room C36 and Microsoft Teams

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Contact: n.rogers1@lancaster.ac.uk for Teams Link

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PhD students/Post-docs: “Meet the speaker” informal session in B24 at 1pm.

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Abstract

Cassini spacecraft observations confirmed that Titan lacks a substantial intrinsic magnetic field. Consistently, an induced magnetosphere compatible with an atmospheric plasma interaction was detected. Cassini observations also revealed that the variability of Titan's magnetic and plasma environment is unparalleled in the solar system. The moon not only interacts with the plasma from the lobes and the current sheet of Saturn's magnetosphere, but also with the solar wind plasma in Saturn’s magnetosheath and outside Saturn’s bow shock. In this seminar, we revisit some relevant results based on the measurements by the Cassini magnetometer and plasma instruments. We also assess the impact of Titan's interaction in the loss of its atmosphere and the dynamics of the Saturnian plasma system.