Titan : exploring an earthlike world / Athena Coustenis, Fredric W. Taylor ; with illustrations by D.J. Taylor.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Coustenis, Athena.

Contributor:

Taylor, F. W.

Series:

Series on atmospheric, oceanic and planetary physics ; v. 4.

Series on atmospheric, oceanic and planetary physics ; v. 4

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Saturn probes.

Titan (Satellite).

Titan (Satellite)--Exploration.

Saturn (Planet)--Satellites.

Saturn (Planet).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (412 p.)

Edition:

2nd ed.

Place of Publication:

Hackensack, N.J. : World Scientific, c2008.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Titan: Exploring an Earthlike World presents the most comprehensive description in book form of what is currently known about Titan, the largest satellite of the planet Saturn and arguably the most intriguing and mysterious world in the Solar System. Because of its resemblance to our own planet, Titan is often described as a "frozen primitive Earth" and is therefore of wide interest to scientists and educated laypersons from a wide range of backgrounds. The book aims to cater to all of these by using nontechnical language wherever possible, while maintaining a high standard of scientific rigor

Contents:

Contents; 4.9.1 Observations of Saturn; Prologue; Foreword; 1. Introduction; 1.1 Early History; 1.2 Titan in Mythology; 1.3 Space Exploration of the Solar System; 1.4 The 20th Century, Before Voyager; 2. The Voyager Missions to Titan; 2.1 Space Missions to the Saturnian System; 2.2 Voyager Observations of Titan; 2.3 Atmospheric Bulk Composition; 2.4 Vertical Temperature Structure; 2.5 Energy Balance and the Temperature Profile in the Thermosphere; 2.6 Atmospheric Composition; 2.7 Photochemistry; 2.8 Cloud and Haze Properties; 2.9 Speculations on the Surface and Landscape of Titan from Voyager

2.10 The Aftermath of Voyager3. Observations of Titan from the Earth; 3.1 Introduction; 3.2 Space Observatories; 3.2.1 Hubble Space Telescope; 3.2.2 The JamesWebb Space Telescope; 3.2.3 Infrared Space Observatory; 3.3 Ground-Based Observatories; 3.3.1 Mauna Kea Observatories; 3.3.2 The European Southern Observatories; 3.3.3 The University of Arizona and Steward Observatory Telescopes; 3.3.4 Radio Astronomy; 3.3.4.1 IRAM; 3.3.4.2 The Very Large Array (VLA); 3.3.4.3 The Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA); 3.3.4.4 The Atacama Large Millimetre Array (ALMA); 3.3.4.5 The Square Kilometre Array (SKA)

3.4 Earth-Based Studies of Titan3.4.1 Occultations of Titan; 3.4.2 The Radar Search for Oceans, Seas or Lakes; 3.4.3 Spectroscopic Measurements of Titan's Albedo; 3.4.4 Imaging Titan's Atmosphere in the Near-Infrared; 3.4.5 Imaging the Surface; 3.5 Ground-Based Observations and Cassini-Huygens; 4. Cassini-Huygens: Orbiting Saturn and Landing on Titan; 4.1 Introduction; 4.2 The Spacecraft and its Systems; 4.3 Scientific Objectives; 4.4 The Long History of the Cassini-Huygens Mission; 4.5 Departure for the Saturnian System; 4.6 Journey to Saturn and Orbit Insertion

4.7 Huygens Descends onto Titan4.8 Experiments and Payloads; 4.8.1 The Scientific Instruments on the Orbiter; 4.8.2 The Scientific Instruments on the Probe; 4.9 Touring the Saturnian System; 4.9.2 The Icy Satellites, and Saturn's Rings; 4.9.3 Saturn's Magnetosphere and Titan; 4.10 Being Involved: Scientists and Instrument Providers; 4.11 Reaping the Benefits; Colour Plates; 5. Titan's Atmosphere and Climate; 5.1 The Climate on Titan; 5.1.1 Atmospheric Pressure Profile; 5.1.2 Atmospheric Thermal Structure; 5.1.3 Troposphere; 5.1.4 Stratosphere; 5.1.5 Mesosphere; 5.1.6 Thermosphere

5.1.7 Exosphere5.2 Radiation in Titan's Atmosphere; 5.2.1 Solar and Thermal Radiation; 5.2.2 Energy Balance and Surface Temperature; 5.2.3 Model Temperature Profile; 5.2.4 Radiative Equilibrium Temperature Profile; 5.3 Remote Atmospheric Temperature Sounding; 5.4 Titan's Ionosphere and its Interaction with the Magnetosphere of Saturn; 5.5 Climate Change on Titan; 6. Chemistry and Composition; 6.1 Titan's Chemical Composition; 6.2 The Bulk Composition of the Atmosphere; 6.3 Ionospheric Chemistry; 6.4 Trace Constituents in the Neutral Atmosphere

6.4.1 Stratospheric Composition Measurements with Cassini

Notes:

Previous ed.: 1999.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 358-390) and index.

ISBN:

9789812811615

9812811613