Output details
9 - Physics
University College London
Cassini in Titan's tail: CAPS observations of plasma escape
This paper provides the first mass-separated, quantitative measurement of plasma escape flux at Titan. I identified intervals in Titan’s tail containing ionospheric plasma, using ionospheric photoelectrons seen by the electron spectrometer. I coordinated further data analysis from two CAPS sensors - the electron spectrometer which provides the plasma density (with European colleagues), and the ion mass spectrometer which provides the ion velocities (with US colleagues). I combined the data to provide the flux of escaping ions, finding a loss rate of ~7 tonnes per day. I led the collaboration and wrote the paper, providing the intellectual lead for the study.