Kronos: exploring the depths of Saturn with probes and remote sensing through an international mission

    Authors

    B. Marty; T. Guillot; A. Coustenis; N. Achilleos; Y. Alibert; S. Asmar; D. Atkinson; S. Atreya; G. Babasides; K. Baines; T. Balint; D. Banfield; S. Barber; B. Bezard; G. L. Bjoraker; M. Blanc; S. Bolton; N. Chanover; S. Charnoz; E. Chassefiere; J. E. Colwell; E. Deangelis; M. Dougherty; P. Drossart; F. M. Flasar; T. Fouchet; R. Frampton; I. Franchi; D. Gautier; L. Gurvits; R. Hueso; B. Kazeminejad; T. Krimigis; A. Jambon; G. Jones; Y. Langevin; M. Leese; E. Lellouch; J. Lunine; A. Milillo; P. Mahaffy; B. Mauk; A. Morse; M. Moreira; X. Moussas; C. Murray; I. Mueller-Wodarg; T. C. Owen; S. Pogrebenko; R. Prange; P. Read; A. Sanchez-Lavega; P. Sarda; D. Stam; G. Tinetti; P. Zarka; J. Zarnecki;Consortium Kronos

    Comments

    Authors: contact us about adding a copy of your work at STARS@ucf.edu

    Abstract

    Kronos is a mission aimed to measure in situ the chemical and isotopic compositions of the Saturnian atmosphere with two probes and also by remote sensing, in order to understand the origin, formation, and evolution of giant planets in general, including extrasolar planets. The abundances of noble gases, hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur and their compounds, as well as of the D/H, He-4/He-3, Ne-22/Ne-21/Ne-20, Ar-36/Ar-38, C-13/C-12, N-15/N-14, O-18/(O-17)/O-16, Xe-136/Xe-134/Xe-132/Xe-130/Xe-129 isotopic ratios will be measured by mass spectrometry on two probes entering the atmosphere of Saturn at two different locations near mid-latitudes, down to a pressure of 10 Bar. The global composition of Saturn will be investigated through these measurements, together with microwave radiometry determination of H2O and NH3 and their 3D variations. The dynamics of Saturn's atmosphere will be investigated from: (1) measurements of pressure, temperature, vertical distribution of clouds and wind speed along the probes' descent trajectories, and (2) determination of deep winds, differential rotation and convection with combined probe, gravity and radiometric measurements. Besides these primary goals, Kronos will also measure the intensities and characteristics of Saturn's magnetic field inside the D ring as well as Saturn's gravitational field, in order to constrain the abundance of heavy elements in Saturn's interior and in its central core. Depending on the preferred architecture (flyby versus orbiter), Kronos will be in a position to measure the properties of Saturn's innermost magnetosphere and to investigate the ring structure in order to understand how these tiny structures could have formed and survived up to the present times.

    Journal Title

    Experimental Astronomy

    Volume

    23

    Issue/Number

    3

    Publication Date

    1-1-2009

    Document Type

    Article

    First Page

    947

    Last Page

    976

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000263523800008

    ISSN

    0922-6435

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