title: Aerosol growth in Titan's ionosphere.
abstract: Photochemically produced aerosols are common among the atmospheres of our solar system and beyond. Observations and models have shown that photochemical aerosols have direct consequences on atmospheric properties as well as important astrobiological ramifications, but the mechanisms involved in their formation remain unclear. Here we show that the formation of aerosols in Titan's upper atmosphere is directly related to ion processes, and we provide a complete interpretation of observed mass spectra by the Cassini instruments from small to large masses. Because all planetary atmospheres possess ionospheres, we anticipate that the mechanisms identified here will be efficient in other environments as well, modulated by the chemical complexity of each atmosphere.
authors: Group de Spectrométrie Moléculaire et Atmosphérique, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7331, Reims 51687, France. panayotis.lavvas@univ-reims.fr
authors: Panayotis
authors: P
authors: Lavvas
authors: Roger V
authors: RV
authors: Yelle
authors: Tommi
authors: T
authors: Koskinen
authors: Axel
authors: A
authors: Bazin
authors: Véronique
authors: V
authors: Vuitton
authors: Erik
authors: E
authors: Vigren
authors: Marina
authors: M
authors: Galand
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Wellbrock
authors: Andrew J
authors: AJ
authors: Coates
authors: Jan-Erik
authors: JE
authors: Wahlund
authors: Frank J
authors: FJ
authors: Crary
authors: Darci
authors: D
authors: Snowden
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