CERTIFIED










    Cassini Radio Occultation
    Electron density profiles for occultations T046N, T046X, T052N, and T052X. The black line shows the average profile derived in this work. The width of the vertical bar indicates the 1-σ uncertainty in corresponding electron density profile. The grey vertical line marks zero.
    Summary
    The aim of this archive is to disseminate ionospheric electron density profiles from Cassini radio occultation observations at Titan. The derived Titan ionospheric electron density profiles and derived time series of received frequency during Titan occultations are included in this archive. On the whole, the main features of the new profiles are generally consistent with the main features of profiles previously reported by Kliore et al. (2008) and Kliore et al. (2011). Specifically, a single layer of plasma with peak density of 1000–3000 cm−3, peak altitude of 1000–1300 km, and full-width at half maximum of a few hundred kilometers.

    Derived data products include: (A) time series of the frequency of the radio signal received at Earth during an occultation (freq); (B) individual electron density profiles from occultations (indn); (C) average electron density profiles from occultations (aven); and (D) summary of average electron density profiles (summ). Since each occultation event was observed by multiple Deep Space Network antennas, here an individual electron density profile refers to results based on observations at a single antenna and an average electron density profile refers to the average profile from all available observations of an occultation event.

    Reference

    Kliore, A. J., etc., (2008), First results from the Cassini radio occultations of the Titan ionosphere, J. Geophys. Res., 113, A09317, doi:10.1029/2007JA012965.

    Kliore, A. J., etc., (2011), Unusual electron density profiles observed by Cassini radio occultations in Titan’s ionosphere: Effects of enhanced magnetospheric electron precipitation, J. Geophys. Res., 116, A11318, doi:10.1029/2011JA016694.


    Summary of Titan electron density profiles


    OccultationDate (UTC)Latitude (Deg)East Longitude (deg)Solar Zenith Angle (deg)Local Solar Time (hrs)Sun-Earth-Cassini Angle (deg)Earth-Cassini-Sun Angle (deg)Ram Angle (deg)Standard Deviation
    T012N19-Mar-06-15162955.3126573120
    T012X19-Mar-06-35287.518.7126588152
    T014N20-May-06-20-17095.85.1676100180
    T014X20-May-06-212585.818.167666238
    T027N26-Mar-07-75-13892.20.6134594108
    T027X26-Mar-076090907.7134560102
    T031N28-May-07-75-3392.323.172698212
    T031X28-May-077412688.29.872677216
    T046N3-Nov-08-33-6092.318.453513799
    T046X3-Nov-083311987.86.453543113
    T052N4-Apr-09819788.116.3152381129
    T052X4-Apr-09-2512188.417.9152339111
    T057N22-Jun-0976-4688.66.5756100488
    T101N17-May-14-53-6090.781721122149
    T101X17-May-146817589.623.7172188185
    T102N18-Jun-14-64-39929.41404106169
    T102X18-Jun-146413887.921.2140473150
    T117N16-Feb-16-373893.416.973561858
    T117X17-Feb-165310092.721.173553408
    T119X6-May-1651-15788.63.81523104204
    Dates and locations are based on ray path with closest approach distance of 3775 km.
    N = ingress and X = egress

    User's Guide

    Accessing the data
    Each occultation is specified by a unique identifier (urn). Utilizing these identifiers and the index (CSV) allows retrieval of data at the file level.

    Downloading the data

    Citing the data

    PDS recommendations for citing data sets can be found here .

    Withers, P. and L. Huber, (2020), Cassini Orbiter Radio Science Subsystem Occultation and Electron Density Data Archive, PDS Atmospheres (ATM) Node, https://doi.org/10.17189/1518927.