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onization of neutrals by precipitating electrons and ions is the main source of Titan's nightside ionosphere. This paper has two goals: (1) characterization of the role of electron impact ionization on the nightside ionosphere for different magnetospheric conditions and (2) presentation of empirical ion production rates determined using densities measured by the Cassini Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer on the nightside. The ionosphere between 1000 and 1400 km is emphasized. We adopt electron fluxes measured by the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer-Electron Spectrometer and the Magnetospheric Imaging Instrument as classified by Rymer et al. (2009). The current paper follows an earlier paper (Paper I), in which we investigated sources of Titan's dayside ionosphere and demonstrated that the photoionization process is well understood. The current paper (Paper II) demonstrates that modeled and empirical ionization rates on the nightside are in agreement with an electron precipitation source above 1100 km. Ion production rate profiles appropriate for different Saturnian magnetospheric conditions, as outlined by Rymer et al., are constructed for various magnetic field topologies. Empirical production rate profiles are generated for deep nightside flybys of Titan. The results also suggest that at lower altitudes (below 1100 km) another source, such as ion precipitation, is probably needed. Fil: Richard, M. S.. University of Kansas; Estados Unidos. Benedictine College; Estados Unidos Fil: Cravens, T. E.. University of Kansas; Estados Unidos Fil: Wylie, C.. University of Kansas; Estados Unidos Fil: Webb, D.. University of Kansas; Estados Unidos Fil: Chediak, Q.. University of Kansas; Estados Unidos Fil: Mandt, K.. Southwest Research Institute; Estados Unidos Fil: Waite Jr, J. H.. Southwest Research Institute; Estados Unidos Fil: Rymer, A.. University Johns Hopkins; Estados Unidos Fil: Bertucci, Cesar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciónes Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio. - Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio; Argentina Fil: Wellbrock, A.. University College London; Reino Unido Fil: Windsor, A.. Benedictine College. Department of Physics and Astronomy; Estados Unidos Fil: Coates, A. J.. University College London; Reino Unido

After 9 years in the Saturn system, the Cassini spacecraft finally observed Titan in the supersonic solar wind. These unique observations reveal that Titan interaction with the solar wind is in many ways similar to un-magnetized planets Mars and Venus in spite of the differences in the properties of the solar plasma in the outer solar system. In particular, Cassini detected a collisionless, supercritical bow shock and a well-defined induced magnetosphere filled with mass-loaded interplanetary magnetic field lines, which drape around Titan ionosphere. Although the flyby altitude may not allow the detection of an ionopause, Cassini reports enhancements of plasma density compatible with plasma clouds or streamers in the flanks of its induced magnetosphere or due to an expansion of the induced magnetosphere. Because of the upstream conditions, these observations are also relevant for unmagnetized bodies in the outer solar system such as Pluto, where kinetic processes are expected to dominate., 17 pages, 3 figures

Cassini magnetic field observations between 2004 and 2012 suggest the ambient field conditions near Titan’s orbit to differ significantly from the frequently applied pre-Cassini picture (background magnetic field homogeneous and perpendicular to Titan’s orbital plane, stationary upstream conditions). In this study, we analyze the impact of these varying background field conditions on the structure of Titan’s induced magnetosphere by conducting a systematic survey of Cassini magnetic field observations in the interaction region during flybys TA–T85 (July 2004–July 2012). We introduce a set of criteria that allow to identify deviations in the structure of Titan’s induced magnetosphere—as seen by the Cassini magnetometer (MAG)—from the picture of steady-state field line draping. These disruptions are classified as “weak”, “moderate”, or “strong”. After applying this classification scheme to all available Titan encounters, we survey the data for a possible correlation between the disruptions of the draping pattern and the ambient magnetospheric field conditions, as characterized by Simon et al. [2010a]. Our major findings are: (1) When Cassini is embedded in the northern or southern lobe of Saturn’s magnetodisk within a ` 3 h interval around closest approach, Titan’s induced magnetosphere shows little or no deviations at all from the steady-state draping picture. (2) Even when Titan is embedded in perturbed current sheet fields during an encounter, the notion of draping the average background field around the moon’s ionosphere is still applicable to explain MAG observations from numerous Titan flybys. (3) Only when Titan is exposed to intense north- south oscillations of Saturn’s current sheet at the time of an encounter, the signatures of the moon’s induced magnetosphere may be completely obscured by the ambient field perturbations. (4) So far, T70 is the only flyby that fully meets the idealized pre-Cassini picture of the Titan interaction (steady background field perpendicular to Titan’s orbital plane, steady upstream flow, unperturbed induced magnetosphere). Fil: Simon, Sven. University of Cologne. Institute of Geophysics and Meteorology; Alemania; Fil: van Treeck, Shari C.. University of Cologne. Institute of Geophysics and Meteorology; Alemania; Fil: Wennmacher, Alexandre. University of Cologne. Institute of Geophysics and Meteorology; Alemania; Fil: Saur, Joachim. University of Cologne. Institute of Geophysics and Meteorology; Alemania; Fil: Neubauer, Fritz M.. University of Cologne. Institute of Geophysics and Meteorology; Alemania; Fil: Bertucci, Cesar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio(i); Argentina; Fil: Dougherty, Michele K.. Imperial College Of Science And Technology. Space and Atmospheric Physics Group; Reino Unido

When the Cassini spacecraft flew by Titan on 13 June 2007, at 13.6 Saturn local time, Titan was directly observed to be outside Saturn′s magnetopause. Cassini observations showed dramatic changes of magnetic field orientation as well as other plasma flow parameters during the inbound and outbound segments. In this paper, we study Titan's ionospheric responses to such a sudden change in the upstream plasma conditions using a sophisticated multispecies global MHD model. Simulation results of three different cases (steady state, simple current sheet crossing, and magnetopause crossing) are presented and compared against Cassini Magnetometer, Langmuir Probe, and Cassini Plasma Spectrometer observations. The simulation results provide clear evidence for the existence of a fossil field that was induced in the ionosphere. The main interaction features, as observed by the Cassini spacecraft, are well reproduced by the time-dependent simulation cases. Simulation also reveals how the fossil field was trapped during the interaction and shows the coexistence of two pileup regions with opposite magnetic orientation, as well as the formation of a pair of new Alfven wings and tail disconnection during the magnetopause crossing process. Fil: Ma, Y. J.. University of California; Estados Unidos Fil: Russell, C. T.. University of California; Estados Unidos Fil: Nagy, A. F.. University of Michigan; Estados Unidos Fil: Toth, G.. University of Michigan; Estados Unidos Fil: Bertucci, Cesar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciónes Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio. - Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio; Argentina Fil: Dougherty, M. K.. Imperial College London; Reino Unido Fil: Neubauer, F. M.. University of Cologne; Alemania Fil: Wellbrock, A.. University College London; Estados Unidos Fil: Coates, A. J.. University College London; Estados Unidos Fil: Garnier, P.. Swedish Institute of Space Physics; Suecia Fil: Wahlund, J. E.. Swedish Institute of Space Physics; Suecia Fil: Cravens, T. E.. University of Kansas; Estados Unidos Fil: Crary, F. J.. Southwest Research Institute; Estados Unidos