Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2010
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010agufmsm11c1770t&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2010, abstract #SM11C-1770
Physics
[5737] Planetary Sciences: Fluid Planets / Magnetospheres, [6280] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Saturnian Satellites
Scientific paper
The Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS) detected freshly-produced water-group ions (O+, OH+, H2O+, H3O+) and heavier charged water clusters (HxO2)+ very close to Enceladus within and outside of the south polar plume, see (1). The data were obtained during close flybys of Enceladus in 2008 and 2009 (E3, E5, E7) when CAPS viewing of the ion plasma was favorable. The ions are observed in CAPS detectors looking in the Cassini ram direction and close to the ram kinetic energy, indicative of a nearly stagnant (at rest with respect to Enceladus) plasma flow in the plume. In this study these CAPS observations are compared with 3D hybrid simulations of the Enceladus interaction (2). The primary goal is to simulate the spatial extent of the ion flow stagnation in and near the plume observed by CAPS. The simulations include not only plume water vapor undergoing charge exchange with the ambient ion flow but also heavy plume dust that acquires a negative charge. The neutral dust spatial distribution is modeled using particle impact rates obtained from Radio and Plasma Wave System (RPWS) data while plasma fluid parameters during the encounters are obtained from CAPS. The dust is a second heavy particle component in the simulation that is followed in the same manner as the positive ions. The dust absorption of electrons mass-loads the plasma producing flow deceleration observable by CAPS over the high impact regions measured by RPWS. This deceleration is compared with that due to the charge exchange process. 1.)Tokar,R.L. et al. Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L13203, doi:10.1029/2009GL038923, 2009. 2.)Omidi,N. et al., J. Geophys. Res., 115, A05212, doi:10.1029/2009JA014391, 2010.
Averkamp Terry
Crary Frank J.
Gurnett Donald A.
Omidi Nojan
Thomsen Michelle F.
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