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A model for the spatial and energy distributions of energetic neutral atoms produced within the Saturn/Titan plasma system
Author(s) -
Hsieh K. C.,
Curtis C. C.
Publication year - 1988
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/gl015i008p00772
Subject(s) - titan (rocket family) , physics , magnetosphere , atomic physics , ion , plasma , energetic neutral atom , saturn , flux (metallurgy) , hydrogen , computational physics , astrophysics , astrobiology , nuclear physics , chemistry , planet , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics
A model for the production of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) in the Saturn/Titan system that takes into account existing data on the spatial distribution of the background neutral density, the energy and spatial distributions of the energetic ions, and the energy dependence of the charge‐exchange cross sections is presented. Hydrogen production via (H + , H) is presented in detail. The extended Saturn/Titan system is "imaged" in energetic neutral H at 66 R s and 25° latitude. From this vantage point the energetic H flux is 6 ± 1 H cm −2 s −1 between 10 and 100 keV. Comparing our predicted H spectrum with that observed by Kirsch et al. (1981b), we estimate the production of neutral O, and conclude that (O + , H) charge exchange in the inner magnetosphere is sufficient to account for all the ENA O production.