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F. M. Flasar (NASA/GSFC), Cassini CIRS Investigation Team
We present new results on temperatures, winds, and composition of the Saturn system from measurements by the Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) made during the arrival of the Cassini spacecraft. Temperature maps of Saturn’s southern hemisphere show a warm south pole, and equatorial zonal winds that decay markedly with altitude above the cloud tops. Saturn’s rings exhibit a radial variation of temperature that may provide evidence of slowly rotating particles. Thermal maps of the moon Phoebe exhibit both topographical shading and day-night variations. The derived thermal inertia is less than that of Jupiter’s satellites, suggesting a more porous regolith. Stratospheric temperatures have been mapped in Titan’s southern hemisphere. The derived zonal winds there are greatest near the equator, and they decrease toward the south pole. The breadth of the CIRS spectral coverage from 1 mm to 7 micrometers allows the determination of the methane and carbon monoxide abundances in Titan’s stratosphere for the first time.
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 36 #4
© 2004. The American Astronomical Soceity.