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The evolution of Titan's detached haze layer near equinox in 2009
Author(s) -
West Robert A.,
Balloch Jonathan,
Dumont Philip,
Lavvas Panayotis,
Lorenz Ralph,
Rannou Pascal,
Ray Trina,
Turtle Elizabeth P.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2011gl046843
Subject(s) - titan (rocket family) , equinox , haze , zonal and meridional , atmospheric sciences , atmosphere of titan , astrobiology , meridional flow , environmental science , geology , meteorology , physics , astronomy , latitude
Saturn's moon Titan has a massive atmosphere laden with layers of photochemical haze. We report a recent dramatic change in the vertical structure of this haze, with a persistent ‘detached’ layer dropping in altitude from over 500 km to only 380 km between 2007 and 2010. The detached haze layer appears to be a well‐defined tracer for Titan's meridional stratospheric circulation, models of which suggest that a pole‐to‐pole meridional cell weakens during equinox as solar heating becomes more symmetric. These measurements connect the Cassini observations with those made by Voyager almost one seasonal cycle earlier. They place detailed constraints on the seasonal circulation, on the sources of photochemical aerosols, on the microphysical processes and on the complex interplay of these components.