Advanced Hybrid Simulation on the Magnetic Interaction at Titan

SILLANPÄÄ, I.; KALLIO, E.; JARVINEN, R.; JANHUNEN, P.; VILPPOLA, J.; MURSULA, K.; BERTUCCI, C.; DOUGHERTY, M. K.; NEUBAUER, F. M.

Congreso; AGU Fall Meeting 2006; 2006

Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, has a unique plasma interaction with the rotating plasma of Saturn's magnetosphere. Titan's dense and nitrogen rich atmosphere is a major plasma source in the Kronian system as it interacts with the subsonic and super-Alfvénic magnetospheric plasma flow. Important aspects of this interaction include ion outflow, forming of a magnetotail and draping of magnetic field lines. Titan is a major research target for the current Cassini mission with over 40 close flybys. To provide tools for analysis of these new measurements we use a global hybrid simulation model to study Titan's plasma interaction. Hybrid simulations are important at Titan in order to reproduce the three-dimensional structures and the high asymmetry in the behavior of ions around Titan that are results of strong gyroradius effects. In this study we have focused on the intriguing magnetic morphology at Titan based on our recent simulation results. We use methods such as field line tracing to present and analyze the magnetic connections between different parts in Titan's interaction region. We discuss also effects that varying plasma parameters and solar cycle dependence have on this plasma interaction.