Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Sep 2006
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006dps....38.3802c&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #38, #38.02; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 38, p.552
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
Stellar occultations by Saturn's rings observed with the Cassini Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph probe the ring structure at high spatial resolution ( 10-20 m). Combining the measurements of the transparency of the rings at different viewing geometries allows us to measure the three-dimensional structure of the rings on small spatial scales. Self-gravity wakes that produce the well-known azimuthal brightness asymmetry in the A ring obstruct different amounts of starlight depending on the viewing geometry. We take advantage of this to measure the characteristics of the wakes using multiple occultation observations. We find self-gravity wakes throughout the B ring as well as the A ring. The B ring wakes are more flattened structures than those in the A ring, with height/width ratios of 0.1 or less. The wake pitch angle with respect to the azimuthal direction increases with increasing ring radius across the B ring from <10; degrees near the inner edge to 25 degrees at the outer edge. Occultation measurements of sharp edges provide an additional constraint on ring thickness at the edges. Occultations observed in the Fall of 2006 at new viewing geometries will test the derived ring properties.
Colwell Joshua E.
Esposito W. L. W. L.
McClintock William E.
Miodrag Sremčević
Stewart Glen Robert
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