Global Modeling of the Seasonal and Solar Cycle Trends in Titan’s Methane

Jared Micheal Bell, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 675, Greenbelt, MD, United States, Joe H Westlake, JHUAPL, Laurel, United States, Jack H Waite, The University of Alabama, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Tuscaloosa, United States and Rebecca Perryman, Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, United States
Abstract:
We present three-dimensional (3-D) global simulations of Titan’s upper atmosphere between 500 km and 1600 km altitude using the Titan Global Ionosphere-Thermosphere Model (T-GITM). In particular, we focus on quantifying the trends in the methane mixing ratios over time, by sampling different solar cycle and seasonal configurations using daily F10.7-cm data taken from the NOAA National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC). Moreover, we also examine trends in the key radiatively active species HCN, which has a significant impact on the thermal balance in Titan’s upper atmosphere. Finally, we investigate how other major species (such as N2 and H2) vary over time according to our 3-D global simulations.
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