The Surface of Titan as seen by the Cassini Radar Mapper
Wednesday, October 5, 2005
4:00 - 5:00 pm
LFG 102, UNLV Campus
Abstract
The Cassini Titan Radar Mapper is one of the prime instruments
investigating Titan's surface from orbit. Titan has shown itself to be an
intriguing object for study, with a variety of unusual candidate materials
such as water-ammonia and other ices, hydrocarbons, and tholins. Because
of its almost opaque atmosphere, microwave remote sensing contributes
uniquely to that investigation. The Titan Radar Mapper operates as a
passive radiometer, scatterometer, altimeter, and synthetic aperture radar
(SAR). This talk will review the results obtained so far, which include
three fly-bys during which the SAR mode was used (October 2004, February
2005 and September 2005). SAR images revealed that Titan is very
geologically complex, including large craters, features that are
interpreted as cryovolcanic in origin, and radar-bright braided and sinuous
channels, apparently draining into a plain. Other landforms include dark
lineated streaks, nicknamed "cat scratches" which are thought to have been
formed by aeolian transport and accumulation. A few radar-dark patches
detected during the first fly-by and a feature that appears to be a
shoreline indicate surface liquids may be present. Among the cryovolcanic
features is a volcanic dome and extensive flows. The presence of
cryovolcanic features on Titan has long been suggested and its interior may
still contain a substantial layer of water-ammonia liquid that may erupt on
the surface.
Updated September 26, 2005