Universität zu Köln

Tokano, Tetsuya (2017). Nitrogen condensation in Titan's atmosphere under contemporary atmospheric composition. Icarus, 289. S. 120 - 134. SAN DIEGO: ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE. ISSN 1090-2643

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Abstract

Temperature profiles of Titan's atmosphere obtained by Cassini radio occultations approach the nitrogen condensation temperature curve at some places. This raises the question as to whether nitrogen, Titan's main atmospheric constituent, might condense in some seasons and areas contrary to previous perception. To address this question, possible areas and seasons of nitrogen condensation are searched for by a global climate model. The model is run under the present atmospheric pressure and composition but under various orbital configurations including the present one. Under the present orbital configuration the polar temperature at either pole becomes lowest around the northern autumnal equinox one season after aphelion. Liquid nitrogen clouds may appear in this season between 30 and 40 km altitude at least near the south pole, presumably embedded in icy methane clouds. Any falling nitrogen rain is likely to entirely evaporate before reaching the surface and thus does not affect the seasonal cycle of surface pressure. Seasonal nitrogen condensation is more frequent and intense when Saturn's orbital eccentricity is larger and hence the heliocentric distance at aphelion is larger. Nevertheless, orbital parameter variations alone are not capable of flooding the surface with liquid nitrogen or causing large fluctuations of the surface pressure. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Tokano, Tetsuya UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-230566
DOI:	10.1016/j.icarus.2017.02.005
Journal or Publication Title:	Icarus
Volume:	289
Page Range:	S. 120 - 134
Date:	2017
Publisher:	ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE
Place of Publication:	SAN DIEGO
ISSN:	1090-2643
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language CASSINI RADIO OCCULTATIONS; GENERAL-CIRCULATION MODEL; SURFACE TEMPERATURES; METHANE; SIMULATIONS; CONSTRAINTS; CLOUDS; TRITON; MIDDLE; GCM Multiple languages Astronomy & Astrophysics Multiple languages
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/23056