Fields and plasma in the wakes of the Saturnian inert moons: global hybrid simulation results

Details Fields and plasma in the wakes of the Saturnian inert moons: global hybrid simulation results Fields and plasma in the wakes of the Saturnian inert moons: global hybrid simulation results

Dec 2007

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007agufm.p12b..04r&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2007, abstract #P12B-04

Physics

2732 Magnetosphere Interactions With Satellites And Rings, 2753 Numerical Modeling, 6207 Comparative Planetology, 6275 Saturn, 6280 Saturnian Satellites

Scientific paper

The dynamics of magnetized, plasma vacuums is a fundamental physical problem and the wakes of Saturn's inert moons represent an ideal physical laboratory where this topic can be thoroughly investigated. With Cassini having already performed several close icy moon flybys, significant contribution to our understanding of the physical processes involved could come from combined data-simulation studies. Here we present such a case study where Rhea's magnetospheric interaction is simulated using a three dimensional, hybrid plasma simulation code, where ions are treated as particles and electrons as a massless, charge-neutralizing fluid. Many of the expected features of the interaction are reproduced, such as the magnetic field compression in the wake, the rarefaction in the wake sides and the extended plasma depletion along the magnetic field direction. The simulation successfully reproduces the signature in the Cassini magnetometer data, acquired during the close flyby to Rhea on November 2005, but only partly the particle distributions observed. Both agreements and disagreements of a simulation with the data can tell us a lot about the determining factors of the interaction. As Rhea is one of the many mass absorbing moons of Saturn, such a case study should be relevant for most lunar- type interactions at Saturn.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Fields and plasma in the wakes of the Saturnian inert moons: global hybrid simulation results does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Fields and plasma in the wakes of the Saturnian inert moons: global hybrid simulation results, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Fields and plasma in the wakes of the Saturnian inert moons: global hybrid simulation results will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1483943