论文标题

带有探针的泰坦旗舰级轨道器的科学案例

The Science Case for a Titan Flagship-class Orbiter with Probes

论文作者

Nixon, Conor A., Abshire, James, Ashton, Andrew, Barnes, Jason W., Carrasco, Nathalie, Choukroun, Mathieu, Coustenis, Athena, Couston, Louis-Alexandre, Edberg, Niklas, Gagnon, Alexander, Hofgartner, Jason D., Iess, Luciano, Mouélic, Stéphane Le, Lopes, Rosaly, Lora, Juan, Lorenz, Ralph D., Luspay-Kuti, Adrienn, Malaska, Michael, Mandt, Kathleen, Mastrogiuseppe, Marco, Mazarico, Erwan, Neveu, Marc, Perron, Taylor, Radebaugh, Jani, Rodriguez, Sébastien, Salama, Farid, Schoenfeld, Ashley, Soderblom, Jason M., Solomonidou, Anezina, Snowden, Darci, Sun, Xioali, Teanby, Nicholas, Tobie, Gabriel, Trainer, Melissa G., Tucker, Orenthal J., Turtle, Elizabeth P., Vinatier, Sandrine, Vuitton, Véronique, Zhang, Xi

论文摘要

我们概述了一个旗舰级任务概念,旨在将泰坦作为一个全球系统研究,特别强调了极地地区。从极地轨​​道的独特角度研究泰坦将使全球地图揭示大气的物理和化学,以及地表和地下的地形和地球物理环境。该任务包括两个关键要素:(1)一个轨道器航天器,它也充当数据继电器,以及(2)一个或多个小型探针直接研究泰坦的海洋,并首先直接测量其液体组成和物理环境。轨道器将携带复杂的遥感有效载荷,包括新型的地形激光雷达,长波长的表面穿透雷达,用于风和中层/热层组合物的次毫米计,以及相机和近红外光谱仪。一个用于分析颗粒和田地的仪器套件将包括质谱仪,以关注泰坦逃脱的上层大气与太阳风与土星磁层之间的相互作用。轨道器将进入1500至1800公里左右的稳定极性轨道,从该轨道可以从中获得大气和表面的全球地图。从轨道释放的一个或多个探针将原位研究泰坦的海洋,包括在较高和纬度海洋之间的组成差异,以及降落伞下降期间的大气。在一项任务研究中,我们建议将探针的数量以及轨道和探测器上的仪器补充尚待确定,我们建议将NASA作为现在正在进行的NRC Decadal decadal decadal Survey的一部分,目的是在“小型旗舰”类别的总体任务成本中,目标是约20亿美元。与卡西尼 - 众议员类似的国际合作伙伴关系也可能被包括在内。

We outline a flagship-class mission concept focused on studying Titan as a global system, with particular emphasis on the polar regions. Investigating Titan from the unique standpoint of a polar orbit would enable comprehensive global maps to uncover the physics and chemistry of the atmosphere, and the topography and geophysical environment of the surface and subsurface. The mission includes two key elements: (1) an orbiter spacecraft, which also acts as a data relay, and (2) one or more small probes to directly investigate Titan's seas and make the first direct measurements of their liquid composition and physical environment. The orbiter would carry a sophisticated remote sensing payload, including a novel topographic lidar, a long-wavelength surface-penetrating radar, a sub-millimeter sounder for winds and for mesospheric/thermospheric composition, and a camera and near-infrared spectrometer. An instrument suite to analyze particles and fields would include a mass spectrometer to focus on the interactions between Titan's escaping upper atmosphere and the solar wind and Saturnian magnetosphere. The orbiter would enter a stable polar orbit around 1500 to 1800 km, from which vantage point it would make global maps of the atmosphere and surface. One or more probes, released from the orbiter, would investigate Titan's seas in situ, including possible differences in composition between higher and lower latitude seas, as well as the atmosphere during the parachute descent. The number of probes, as well as the instrument complement on the orbiter and probe, remain to be finalized during a mission study that we recommend to NASA as part of the NRC Decadal Survey for Planetary Science now underway, with the goal of an overall mission cost in the "small flagship" category of ~$2 bn. International partnerships, similar to Cassini-Huygens, may also be included for consideration.

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