Particle pressure and current density in the magnetosphere of Saturn: Origin of the Saturnian ring current

Details Particle pressure and current density in the magnetosphere of Saturn: Origin of the Saturnian ring current Particle pressure and current density in the magnetosphere of Saturn: Origin of the Saturnian ring current

Publishing date

Dec 2009

URL

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009agufmsm32b..08s&link_type=abstract

Journals

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2009, abstract #SM32B-08

Science

Physics

Field

Plasma Physics

Additional info 3

[2700] Magnetospheric Physics, [6275] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Saturn, [7800] Space Plasma Physics

Type

Scientific paper

Abstract

We report initial results on the distribution of the thermal plasma, energetic particle and magnetic field pressure in the equatorial magnetosphere, as measured by the Magnetospheric Imaging Instrument (MIMI), Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS) and the flux gate magnetometer (MAG) onboard the Cassini spacecraft, currently orbiting Saturn. Data were obtained during 11 passes from September 2005 to May 2006, when the spacecraft was particularly close (±1 Rs) to the nominal magnetic equator in the range 6 to 15 RS. The radial gradient of the total pressure is compared to the inertial body force in order to determine their relative contribution to the Saturnian ring current, and an average radial profile of the azimuthal current intensity is presented. The results can be summarized as follows: (1) The suprathermal (> 3 keV) pressure contribution to the total particle pressure becomes significant outside 8-9 Rs, exceeding 50% for r between 12 and 15 Rs. (2) The plasma beta (particle pressure/magnetic pressure) remains above 1 outside 8 RS, reaching ~3 to ~10 between 11 and 14 Rs. (3) The comparison between the inertial body force and the radial pressure gradient shows that both terms are close at 9-10 Rs, with the pressure gradient becoming dominant outside of 11 Rs. (4) The azimuthal ring current intensity develops a maximum region between approximately 8 and 12 Rs, reaching values of 100-150 pA/m^2. Outside this region, it drops with radial distance faster than the 1/r dependence that a disk current model would suggest.

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