Physical Properties of the Saturnian Ring System Inferred from Cassini VIMS Opposition Observations

Details Physical Properties of the Saturnian Ring System Inferred from Cassini VIMS Opposition Observations Physical Properties of the Saturnian Ring System Inferred from Cassini VIMS Opposition Observations

Dec 2005

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2005agufm.p31d..06h&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2005, abstract #P31D-06

Other

1

6099 General Or Miscellaneous, 6213 Dust, 6265 Planetary Rings, 6275 Saturn, 6280 Saturnian Satellites

Scientific paper

Much can be learned about the nature of Saturn's ring particles and their regoliths by studying the wavelength dependence of their reflectance as a function of phase angle. At small phase angles the reflectance of the rings exhibits the opposition effect (OE) a significant increase in reflectance as phase angle approaches zero degrees. The wavelength dependence of the width and the peak of the OE are indicators of important physical properties of the regoliths of the ring particles such as particle size, particle shape, packing density and albedo. The Cassini VIMS multi spectral imaging spectrometer obtained low phase observations of the Saturnian ring system from 0.4-5.2 microns during 2005. These data clearly show a pronounced (OE). Cassini VIMS opposition surge data indicate a wavelength dependence of the OE that relates to the size and separation of the scattering centers on the surface of the ring particles. Laboratory studies and theoretical models of the OE relate the size and shape of the reflectance increase to physical properties of the medium (Nelson et al, 2002; Spilker et al. 1995; Hapke et al., 1993)). The OE arises from two processes, shadow hiding (SH) and coherent backscattering (CB). The SHOE is observed because shadows cast by the particulate grains on one another are eliminated as phase angle approaches zero degrees. The CBOE is due to constructive interference between light rays traveling in opposite paths through the medium as the path length decreases with decreasing phase angle. The VIMS data at 1.9 microns, where the rings are highly reflective, indicate a strong CBOE effect, however, at 2.1 microns, where the rings are very absorbing, the shape of the phase curve is consistent with SHOE. Hapke et al. 1993,Science, 260, 509-511 Nelson, R. M. et al., 2002. Planetary and Space Science, 50, 849-856 Spilker aka Horn, L.J et al., 1995. IAU Colloquium #150 This work done at JPL under contract with NASA

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Physical Properties of the Saturnian Ring System Inferred from Cassini VIMS Opposition Observations 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 Physical Properties of the Saturnian Ring System Inferred from Cassini VIMS Opposition Observations, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Physical Properties of the Saturnian Ring System Inferred from Cassini VIMS Opposition Observations will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-749360