Titan in Saturn's Magnetosheath: Cassini MAG Observations During the T32 Encounter

BERTUCCI, C.; SZEGO, K.; WAHLUND, J.; COATES, A. J.; NEUBAUER, F. M.; ACHILLEOS, N.; ARRIDGE, C. S.; DOUGHERTY, M. K.; MODOLO, R.

Congreso; AGU Fall Meeting 2007; 2007

With a magnetopause average stand-off distance of at least 21 Kronian radii, Titan spends most of its time in Saturn's rotating magnetosphere. However, for Saturn local times near noon and during periods of high solar wind pressure, Titan is expected to be found within the magnetosheath. An analysis of Cassini magnetometer data obtained during the T32 flyby suggests that Titan was found in Saturn magnetosheath at the time of the encounter, in the middle of a series of strong magnetopause compressions and expansions. However, the topology of the heavily massloaded, draped field lines observed in Titan's magnetic pileup region suggest that a few minutes before the encounter, the satellite was within the magnetosphere. This interpretation is supported by Cassini plasma data. This is the first time that Saturn's major satellite is found in the shocked solar wind.