The Cassini Mission, a NASA/ESA cooperative project which includes a deployment of probe into the atmosphere of Titan, is described, with particular attention given to the shock radiometer experiment planned for the Titan probe for the analysis of Titan's atmosphere. Results from a shock layer analysis are presented, demonstrating that the mole fractions of the major species (N2, CH4, and, possibly Ar) in the Titan atmosphere can be successfully determined by the Titan-probe radiometer, by measuring the intensity of the CN(violet) radiation emitted in the shock layer during the high velocity portion of the probe entry between 200 and 400 km altitude. It is shown that the sensitivity of the CN(violet) radiation makes it possible to determine the mole fractions of N2, CH4, and Ar to about 0.015, 0.003, and 0.01, respectively, i.e., much better than the present uncertainties in the composition of Titan atmosphere.


    Access

    Access via TIB

    Check availability in my library


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Titan atmospheric composition by hypervelocity shock layer analysis


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    1989-06-01


    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




    Titan atmospheric composition by hypervelocity shock layer analysis

    NELSON, H. / PARK, CHUL / WHITING, ELLIS | AIAA | 1989


    Titan atmospheric composition by hypervelocity shock-layer analysis

    NELSON, H. F. / PARK, CHUL / WHITING, ELLIS E. | AIAA | 1991


    SHOCK LAYER RADIATION DURING HYPERVELOCITY RE- ENTRY

    NEREM, ROBERT / STOCKFORD, GEORGE | AIAA | 1964