Signal characteristics of potential airbursts in Titan’s atmosphere

We investigate the possibility of detecting airbursts in Titan’s atmosphere by considering their burst characteristics (height and energy release) and associated overpressure and surface displacement. To simulate the airbursts, we track the progression of meteors through the atmosphere using the Separate Fragments Model. The Separate Fragments Model outputs an energy release curve that can be used to locate the burst height and estimate the energy associated with the airburst. The overpressure at the surface beneath the airburst is estimated using empirical equations derived for Earth based nuclear tests and adapted to other planetary atmospheres. We estimate the coupled seismic displacement as compliance effects from point source impulses at the atmosphere and surface boundary. We find that the expected overpressure ranges between 1.1 – 53.2 Pa, and the peak velocity ranges between 0.1 and 72.3 μ m/s , depending on the surface properties assumed for Titan. The larger signals may exceed the detection threshold of instrumentation onboard NASA’s Dragonfly mission, namely the Dragonfly Meteorological suite (DraGMet). For the nominal Dragonfly mission lifetime of 3 years, our current estimates suggest that less than one meteor of radius 1 m or greater will impact Titan. This suggests that if positive detections of airbursts via pressure sensor or seismometer do occur, we may need to revise our understanding of the impactor population distribution in the outer solar system. • Small meteors impacting Titan’s atmosphere result in airbursts. • We described airburst blast-wave signals for overpressure and seismic velocity. • Pressure and seismic velocity signals may be detected by NASA’s Dragonfly mission.