The Lower Ionosphere of Titan
Abstract
Ionization of the atmosphere of Titan by galactic cosmic rays is a very significant process throughout the altitude range of 100 to 400 km. An approximate form of the Boltzmann equation for cosmic ray transport has been used to obtain local ionization rates. Models of both ion and neutral chemistry have been employed to compute electron and ion density profiles for three different values of the H 2/CH 4 abundance ratio. The peak electron density is of the order 10 3 cm -3. The most abundant positive ions are C 2H 9+ and C 3H 9+, while the predicted densities of the negative ions H - and CH 3- are very small (<10 -4 that of the positive ions). It is suggested that inclusion of the ion chemistry is important in the computation of the H and CH 3 density profiles in the lower ionosphere.
- Publication:
-
Icarus
- Pub Date:
- July 1976
- DOI:
- 10.1016/0019-1035(76)90150-0
- Bibcode:
- 1976Icar...28..367C
- Keywords:
-
- Atmospheric Ionization;
- Cosmic Rays;
- Ionospheric Electron Density;
- Ionospheric Ion Density;
- Lower Ionosphere;
- Titan;
- Abundance;
- Astronomical Models;
- Atmospheric Chemistry;
- Atmospheric Models;
- Hydrogen;
- Methane;
- Molecular Ions;
- Reaction Kinetics