Universität zu Köln

Mueller, Joachim, Simon, Sven ORCID: 0000-0002-6204-5437, Motschmann, Uwe, Glassmeier, Karl-Heinz, Saur, Joachim ORCID: 0000-0003-1413-1231, Schuele, Josef and Pringle, Gavin J. (2010). Magnetic field fossilization and tail reconfiguration in Titan's plasma environment during a magnetopause passage: 3D adaptive hybrid code simulations. Planet Space Sci., 58 (12). S. 1526 - 1547. OXFORD: PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD. ISSN 0032-0633

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Abstract

We present a hybrid simulation study (kinetic ions, fluid electrons) of Titan's plasma interaction during an excursion of this moon from Saturn's magnetosphere into its magnetosheath, as observed for the first time during Cassini's T32 flyby on 13 June 2007. In contrast to earlier simulations of Titan's plasma environment under non-stationary upstream conditions, our model considers a difference in the flow directions of magnetospheric and magnetosheath plasma. Two complementary scenarios are investigated, with the flow directions of the impinging magnetospheric/magnetosheath plasmas being (A) antiparallel and (B) parallel. In both cases, our simulations show that due to the drastically reduced convection speed in the slow and dense heavy ion plasma near Titan, the satellite carries a bundle of fossilized magnetic field lines from the magnetosphere in the magnetosheath. Furthermore, the passage through Saturn's magnetopause goes along with a disruption of Titan's pick-up tail. Although the tail is not detached from the satellite, large clouds of heavy ion plasma are stripped of its outer flank, featuring a wave-like pattern. Whereas in case (B) under parallel flow conditions there is only a small retardation of about 5 min between the passage of Titan through the magnetopause and the reconfiguration of the pick-up tail, the tail reconfiguration in the case (A) scenario is completed not until 25 min after the magnetopause passage. The lifetime of fossil fields in the moon's ionosphere is approximately 25 min, regardless of whether parallel or antiparallel flow conditions are applied. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Mueller, Joachim UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Simon, Sven UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0002-6204-5437 UNSPECIFIED Motschmann, Uwe UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Glassmeier, Karl-Heinz UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Saur, Joachim UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0003-1413-1231 UNSPECIFIED Schuele, Josef UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Pringle, Gavin J. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-496178
DOI:	10.1016/j.pss.2010.07.018
Journal or Publication Title:	Planet Space Sci.
Volume:	58
Number:	12
Page Range:	S. 1526 - 1547
Date:	2010
Publisher:	PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
Place of Publication:	OXFORD
ISSN:	0032-0633
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language SOLAR-WIND; MAGNETOSPHERE; IONOSPHERE; MERCURY; COMETS; WAKE; MARS Multiple languages Astronomy & Astrophysics Multiple languages
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/49617