Investigation 4:

Atmospheric Structure & Haze Formation
On Titan (AtmoHaze)

PIs: 

• Tommi Koskinen, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, UArizona
• Panayotis Lavvas, Université Reims UMR7331, CNRS

Summary:

Titan, the largest satellite of Saturn, is shrouded by a thick organic haze that has puzzled scientists for decades as its formation and growth mechanisms remain poorly understood. Our team is pursuing a comprehensive investigation of Titan’s middle and upper atmosphere in order to uncover the key chemical and dynamical processes that give rise to Titan’s seasonally changing haze layers, thermal structure and circulation. This effort combines models with observations from different instruments of the late Cassini spacecraft. Here, we propose to reduce, analyze, and interpret ultraviolet images and spectra from the Cassini/UVIS instrument that provide novel constraints on atmospheric composition and haze formation. The results will be compared with observations from other Cassini instruments towards a more complete picture of temporal and spatial distribution of gases and hazes in Titan’s atmosphere. This will provide a pivot for future studies of circulation and chemistry in different regions of Titan’s atmosphere.