An X‐Ray Measurement of Titan’s Atmospheric Extent from Its Transit of the Crab Nebula | Zendy

Koji Mori | Zendy; H. Tsunemi | Zendy; Haruyoshi Katayama | Zendy; D. N. Burrows | Zendy; G. P. Garmire | Zendy; Albert E. Metzger | Zendy

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An X‐Ray Measurement of Titan’s Atmospheric Extent from Its Transit of the Crab Nebula

Author(s) -

Koji Mori,

H. Tsunemi,

Haruyoshi Katayama,

D. N. Burrows,

G. P. Garmire,

Albert E. Metzger

Publication year - 2004

Publication title -

the astrophysical journal

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 2.376

H-Index - 489

eISSN - 1538-4357

pISSN - 0004-637X

DOI - 10.1086/383521

Subject(s) - titan (rocket family) , occultation , physics , observatory , wavelength , crab nebula , atmosphere of titan , astronomy , atmosphere (unit) , astrobiology , astrophysics , geology , atmospheric sciences , optics , meteorology , gamma ray

Saturn's largest satellite, Titan, transited the Crab Nebula on 5 January2003. We observed this astronomical event with the {\it Chandra} X-rayObservatory. An ``occultation shadow'' has clearly been detected and is foundto be larger than the diameter of Titan's solid surface. The difference gives athickness for Titan's atmosphere of 880 $\pm$ 60 km. This is the firstmeasurement of Titan's atmospheric extent at X-ray wavelengths. The valuemeasured is consistent with or slightly larger than those estimated fromearlier Voyager observations at other wavelengths. We discuss the possibilityof temporal variations in the thickness of Titan's atmosphere.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, AASTeX preprint. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

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