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Science 13 May 2005:
Vol. 308. no. 5724, pp. 982 - 986
DOI: 10.1126/science.1110652
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Reports

Ion Neutral Mass Spectrometer Results from the First Flyby of Titan

J. Hunter Waite, Jr.,1 Hasso Niemann,2 Roger V. Yelle,3 Wayne T. Kasprzak,2 Thomas E. Cravens,4 Janet G. Luhmann,5 Ralph L. McNutt,6 Wing-Huen Ip,7 David Gell,1 Virginie De La Haye,1 Ingo Müller-Wordag,8 Brian Magee,1 Nathan Borggren,3 Steve Ledvina,5 Greg Fletcher,1 Erin Walter,1 Ryan Miller,1 Stefan Scherer,1 Rob Thorpe,9 Jing Xu,1 Bruce Block,1 Ken Arnett1

The Cassini Ion Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS) has obtained the first in situ composition measurements of the neutral densities of molecular nitrogen, methane, molecular hydrogen, argon, and a host of stable carbon-nitrile compounds in Titan's upper atmosphere. INMS in situ mass spectrometry has also provided evidence for atmospheric waves in the upper atmosphere and the first direct measurements of isotopes of nitrogen, carbon, and argon, which reveal interesting clues about the evolution of the atmosphere. The bulk composition and thermal structure of the moon's upper atmosphere do not appear to have changed considerably since the Voyager 1 flyby.

1 Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109–2143, USA.
2 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA.
3 Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, 1629 East University Boulevard, Tucson, AZ 85721–0092, USA.
4 Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA.
5 Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
6 Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, MD 20723, USA.
7 Institute of Astronomy, National Central University, Chung-Li 32054, Taiwan.
8 Space and Atmospheric Physics Group, Imperial College, London SW7 2BW, UK.
9 Southwest Research Institute, Post Office Drawer 28510, San Antonio, TX 78228–0510, USA.

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