High-Resolution Topography of Titan Adapting the Delay/Doppler Algorithm to the Cassini RADAR Altimeter Data

• Published in: IEEE transactions on geoscience and remote sensing Vol. 57; no. 9; pp. 7262 - 7268
• Main Authors: Poggiali, Valerio, Mastrogiuseppe, Marco, Hayes, Alexander Gerard, Seu, Roberto, Mullen, Joseph Peter, Birch, Samuel Patrick Dennis, Raguso, Maria Carmela
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York IEEE 01.09.2019; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Algorithms; Altimeters; Cassini; Cassini mission; Delay; delay/Doppler algorithm (DDA); Doppler effect; Doppler sonar; Lunar topography; Ocean surface topography; planetary science; Radar; Radar altimeters; radar altimetry; radar signal processing; Radar tracking; Radio altimeters; Resolution; Satellites; Saturn; Space vehicles; Spaceborne radar; Surface properties; Titan; Topography; Topography (geology)
• ISSN: 0196-2892; 1558-0644; 1558-0644
• DOI: 10.1109/TGRS.2019.2912575

The Cassini RADAR altimeter has provided broad-scale surface topography data for Saturn's largest moon Titan. Herein, we adapt the delay/Doppler algorithm to take into account Cassini geometries and antenna mispointing usually occurring during hyperbolic Titan flybys. The proposed algorithm allows up to tenfold improvement in the along-track resolution. Preliminary results are provided that show how the improved topography presented herein can advance our understanding of Titan's surface characteristics.