Titan’s surface properties inferred from the seasonal brightness variation at 2-cm wavelength
Résumé
A comprehensive calibration and mapping of the thermal microwave emission from Titan’s surface at 2.2-cm wavelength has been completed by the passive radiometer included in the Cassini RADAR instrument. A seasonal brightness temperature variation has been determined that is comparable to but slightly smaller than that obtained by Cassini's Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS). This difference has implications for the composition and structure of Titan’s surface; namely, that most of Titan’s surface is covered by the deposition and possible redistribution of tholin-like atmospheric photochemical products to a depth of at least a meter.