Radiation on Titan

[toymaker]

How much radiation is there on Titan ? Do we know it ? Or are there any estimates ? Would it be lethal for a hypothetic explorers ? Or would be small enough that simple shielding would protect them ?

 

[thalion]

I don't know if Huygens was designed to measure radiation on the surface (I doubt it), but I'm guessing that if it exists, it must be very, very low--perhaps even safer than Earth's surface. Saturn's magnetic field and radiation zones are fairly weak, and Titan's massive, deep atmosphere probably provides considerable protection. The occasional cosmic rays might still be a problem, though.

 

[vogon13]

Looks like most high Z elements have sank to core of Titan (if they were ever there) so background radiation of uranium, thorium, etc. would be absent. Huygens seems to have found less argon (a decay product) than expected. We may assume it's still really deep in core/mantle or absent entirely. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[nexium]

All good answers. Likely The surface of Titan has no greater radiation hazzard than the typical surface of Earth. Neil

 

[lewcos]

"Unless we want to get cancer early and be unable to have normal children."<br /><br />I believe that we will build a tolerance to radiation as time goes on. <br /><br />The species on earth seem quite adaptable to things. Leopards spots, octopusses color changes, venom in snakes - they are all adaptations to the environment.<br /><br />I suggest that all humans have radiation therapy in small amounts to build tolerances over time. <br /><br />Why not also expose people to the vacuum of space to help build tolerances to that over generations? <br /><br />Wouldn't that be cool if we could just put on a motored backpack in the future and go have a ball without any breathing apparatus? <br /><br />Probably gene therapy will outpace our natural ability to adapt whereby we alter our biological needs through genetic alterations - but that is just my opinion.

 

[nexium]

Hi steve: 2 kg/ cm.sq. = 20 metric tons/meter squared = 2 metric tons per square foot =2100 pounds per square foot = 14.7 psi = the air pressure at Earth sea level. Does any one have an estimate of the gas pressure on the surface of Titan? My guess is reducing the shielding by ten times increases the cancer rate by ten times and the birth defects by ten times, perhaps no worse than smoking pot frequently. Does any one know the average shielding of the ISS = the international space station, or the space shuttle? Neil

 

[phelan]

at the risk of sounding a bit dense I am going to ask a question .<br /><br />Why does it have to be the equivalent of earth sea level? Why not 10,000 feet above sea level?

 

[nexium]

The cancer rate is measurably higher at 5000 feet. It might double at 10,000 feet. There may be other reasons for the high cancer rate besides increased radiation. Neil

 

[phelan]

are you serious? guess I will be moving then! lol I live at 5000 feet above sea level.

 

[CalliArcale]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>Hi steve: 2 kg/ cm.sq. = 20 metric tons/meter squared = 2 metric tons per square foot =2100 pounds per square foot = 14.7 psi = the air pressure at Earth sea level. Does any one have an estimate of the gas pressure on the surface of Titan?<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />I've usually seen it estimated as 1.5 atm. That was before Huygens. I'm not sure what Huygens said, but since I haven't seen any major announcements and its reentry system performed exactly as predicted, I think it's reasonable to assume that the estimate is pretty close to reality. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[qzzq]

Jupiter's magnetosphere is the biggest thing in the solar system. If it were visible, it would be as big as a full Moon. It reaches out beyond the orbit of Saturn. Now, Saturn isn't always inside that magnetosphere, but it passes through it from time to time. I'm wondering how that would affect radiation levels. Anyone? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p>***</p> </div>

 

[nexium]

I'll guess Titan surface radiation increases about 1% while Jupiter is as close to Saturn as it ever gets (not very close) I'll guess the cancer risk (and birth defect rate) at 5000 feet is double (or less) that at sea level on Earth. Very slight increase for 1% of your life at 5000 feet altitude. In these situations, a pack of cigaretts per day is far more damaging. Neil

 

[CalliArcale]

Well, Cassini's long-term study of Saturn's magnetosphere and the radiation environment around there should give you some better ideas of that, although I don't think Saturn will pass through Jupiter's magnetosphere during Cassini's lifetime. (But I could be wrong there; that's just a gut feeling. I should pull up Starry Night to really find out.) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>