Cassini RADAR: investigation of titan’s surface parameters by means of Bayesian inversion technique and gravity-capillary waves modelling of liquid hydrocarbons surfaces

During the first two years of the Cassini mission, a great amount of data dealing with Titan's surface has been collected. In particular, the analysis derived from the SAR imagery reflects the complex Titan's surface morphology. In fact, in the different Cassini radar images a certain number of areas with peculiar features has been identified, such as: dark and bright areas (Ta, T3), periodic structure ("sand dunes") and, above all, hydrocarbon lakes [2],[11]. The proof for the presence of hydrocarbons lakes on Titan has been obtained during the T16, the radar pass performed on Titan by the Cassini spacecraft on 22 July 2006 [12]. In this paper, the investigation of Titan's surface parameters (physical and morphological) has been carried out by the means of Bayesian inversion technique, and simulations of the wave motion for the hypothesized hydrocarbons liquid surfaces has been performed.