Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1893/28835
Appears in Collections:Biological and Environmental Sciences Journal Articles
Peer Review Status: Refereed
Title: In situ thermal conductivity measurements of Titan's lower atmosphere
Author(s): Hathi, Brijen
Ball, Andrew
Banaszkiewicz, Marek
Daniell, Philip M
Garry, James
Hagermann, Axel
Leese, Mark
Lorenz, Ralph
Rosenberg, Phil
Towner, Martin
Zarnecki, John
Contact Email: axel.hagermann@stir.ac.uk
Keywords: Atmospheres
composition
Abundances
composition
Titan
Instrumentation
Issue Date: 31-Oct-2008
Date Deposited: 13-Feb-2019
Citation: Hathi B, Ball A, Banaszkiewicz M, Daniell PM, Garry J, Hagermann A, Leese M, Lorenz R, Rosenberg P, Towner M & Zarnecki J (2008) In situ thermal conductivity measurements of Titan's lower atmosphere. Icarus, 197 (2), pp. 579-584. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2008.05.006
Abstract: Thermal conductivity measurements, presented in this paper (Fig. 3), were made during the descent of the Huygens probe through the atmosphere of Titan below the altitude of 30 km. The measurements are broadly consistent with reference values derived from the composition, pressure and temperature profiles of the atmosphere; except in narrow altitude regions around 19 km and 11 km, where the measured thermal conductivity is lower than the reference by 1% and 2%, respectively. Only single data point exists at each of the two altitudes mentioned above; if true however, the result supports the case for existence for molecules heavier than nitrogen in these regions (such as: ethane, other primordial noble gases, carbon dioxide, and other hydrocarbon derivatives). The increasing thermal conductivity observed below 7 km altitude could be due to some liquid deposition during the descent; either due to condensation and/or due to passing through layers of fog/cloud containing liquid nitrogen-methane. Thermal conductivity measurements do not allow conclusions to be drawn about how such liquid may have entered the sensor, but an estimate of the cumulative liquid content encountered in the last 7 km is 0.6% by volume of the Titan's atmosphere sampled during descent.
DOI Link: 10.1016/j.icarus.2008.05.006
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