Computer Science
Scientific paper
Jul 1995
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1995hst..prop.5830f&link_type=abstract
HST Proposal ID #5830
Computer Science
Hst Proposal Id #5830 Solar System
Scientific paper
Near 1650 Angstrom, a strong absorption attributed to small water ice particles, and possibly water vapor, has been seen in Voyager and IUE spectra of the two main rings of Saturn. These small particles are not seen at longer wavelengths, even in forward scattering, except in the form of spokes, because of the masking effects of the dominant large particles. All the fainter rings, however, show that small particles are produced in large amounts, and thus indicate that they should be present in every ring. No constraining observations exist that allow a description of the production of icy grains and water molecules in the Saturn rings, and to evaluate the effects of their transport and subsequent destruction in OH radicals and H atoms. GHRS FUV spectra of the A and B rings, to be obtained at or near the time of the 1995-96 ring crossing, will allow us to distinguish the properties of solid state vs gaseous absorbers. When the opening angle of the rings will be small, the front side of the rings will occult the far side of the same rings and will permit a complete characterization of the cloud of water that surrounds the icy blocks. Later, when the rings opening angle will be larger, only the solid particles will absorb and their properties will be derived. All these observations, address the important question of the role of the source of H atoms and OH radicals inside the Saturnian system, with important consequences for the planning of the observing sequences of some of the CASSINI instruments.
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