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Titan Surface Temperatures During the Cassini MissionBy the close of the Cassini mission in 2017 the Composite Infrared Spectrometer had recorded surface brightnesstemperatures on Titan for 13 yr (almost half a Titan year). We mapped temperatures in latitude from pole to pole inseven time segments from northern mid-winter to northern summer solstice. At the beginning of the mission thewarmest temperatures were centered at 13 S where they peaked at 93.9 K. Temperatures fell off by about 4 Ktoward the north pole and 2 K toward the south pole. As the seasons progressed the warmest temperatures shiftednorthward, tracking the subsolar point, and at northern summer solstice were centered at 24 N. While moving norththe peak temperature decreased by about 1 K, reaching 92.8 K at solstice. At solstice the fall-off toward the northand south poles were 1 K and 3 K, respectively. Thus the temperature range was the same 2 K at the two poles. Ourobserved surface temperatures agree with recent general circulation model results that take account of methanehydrology and imply that hemispherical differences in Titan's topography may play a role in the north?southasymmetry on Titan.


Document ID
20190028791
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Jennings, D. E.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Tokano, T.
(Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe-Univ. Frankfurt am Main, Germany)
Cottini, V.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Nixon, C. A.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Achterberg, R. K.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Flasar, F. M.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Kunde, V. G.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Romani, P. N.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Samuelson, R. E.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Segura, M. E.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Gorius, N. J. P.
(Catholic Univ. of America Washington, DC, United States)
Guandique, E.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Kaelberer, M. S.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Coustenis, A.
(Observatoire de Paris Paris, France)
Date Acquired
August 6, 2019
Publication Date
May 20, 2019
Publication Information
Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Volume: 877
Issue: 1
ISSN: 2041-8205
e-ISSN: 2041-8213
Subject Category
Space Sciences (General)
Report/Patent Number
GSFC-E-DAA-TN70855
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: 80GSFC17M0002
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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