C - 3.2

The Huygens Doppler Wind Experiment: a Titan Zonal Wind Retrieval Algorithm

R. Dutta-Roy , M.K. Bird

Radioastronomisches Institüt, Universität Bonn, Auf dem Hügel 71, 52121 Bonn, Germany

email: duttaroy@astro.uni-bonn.de

A Doppler Wind Experiment (DWE) will be performed during the Titan atmosphereic descent of the ESA Huygens Probe (Bird et al. 2002). The direction and strength if Titan's zonal winds will be determined from the start of the mission at an altitude of about ~160 km down to the surface. The Probe's wind-induced horizontal motion will be derived from the residual Doppler shift of its S-band radio link to the Cassini Orbiter, corrected for all known orbit and propagation effects. We present an error analysis with the purpose of determining the largest error sources and some simulation results.

References:

Bird, M.K., Dutta-Roy, R., Heyl, M., Allison, M., Asmar, S.W., Folkner, W.M., Preston, R.A., Atkinson, D.H., Edenhofer, P., Plettemeier, D., Wohlmuth, R., Iess, L, and Tyler, G.L. The Huygens Doppler Wind Experiment. Space Science Review, 104, 613-640.2002.