Titan in subsonic and supersonic flow

Abstract

The Titan‐Saturn plasma interaction is studied using a global numerical kinetic model. The developed self‐consistent three‐dimensional quasi‐neutral hybrid model is used to study Titan's interaction with supersonic and subsonic plasma flow. The subsonic flow case represents Titan in the Kronian magnetosphere during the Voyager‐1 flyby. The supersonic and weakly supermagnetosonic flow cases are used to study a disturbed magnetospheric plasma flow event. In both cases the magnetic field is found to pile up against Titan and forming a magnetotail on the wake side. The subsonic flow case does not produce a bow shock in front of Titan, in contrast to the supersonic case. The magnetic field is found to have a Saturn facing side‐anti Saturn facing side asymmetry in both cases. The subsonic case resulted in a twisting of the magnetotail toward Saturn that is qualitatively in agreement with the magnetic field observations made by Voyager 1.