Theoretical profile of Saturn's rings

Details Theoretical profile of Saturn's rings Theoretical profile of Saturn's rings

Apr 1984

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1984em%26p...30..113s&link_type=abstract

Earth, Moon, and Planets (ISSN 0167-9295), vol. 30, April 1984, p. 113-128.

Physics

7

Elastic Properties, Gravitational Effects, Optical Thickness, Saturn Rings, Cartesian Coordinates, Normal Density Functions, Steady State

Scientific paper

Steady-state solutions for the optical thickness of Saturn's rings are studied in terms of Hameen-Anttila's (1983) theory of bimodal gravitating systems. The elastic properties of particles determine the behaviour of the rarefied mode (gaps), while the dense mode (ringlets) depends on the size and the internal density of the particles. In the outer parts of the rings the dense mode is unstable against the growth of gravitational perturbations. Inside the Roche distance this produces only very narrow ring-shaped configurations with helical orbits around them, and the system is not destroyed. The outer boundary of the rings corresponds to the distance beyond which the gravitational instability transforms the dense mode into strictly local condensations (moons). The inner boundary of the ring system is caused by the absence of dense mode near Saturn. The rarefied mode is stable in a larger region.

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