The spokes in Saturn's rings - A new approach

Details The spokes in Saturn's rings - A new approach The spokes in Saturn's rings - A new approach

Apr 1982

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1982georl...9..420c&link_type=abstract

Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 9, Apr. 1982, p. 420-422.

Physics

16

Atmospheric Electricity, Electrostatic Charge, Saturn Atmosphere, Saturn Rings, Electric Potential, Field Aligned Currents, Ice Nuclei, Ionospheric Currents, Planetary Ionospheres, Polarization (Charge Separation), Spokes, Superrotation, Voyager Project, Saturn, Rings, Spokes, Winds, Zones, Atmosphere, Rotation, Ice, Ionosphere, Currents, Polarization, Particles, B Ring, Observations, Diagrams, Data

Scientific paper

It is proposed that zonal winds in Saturn's atmosphere cause superrotation of the ionosphere and, by virtue of field-aligned currents, generate a potential of about 16 kV across the B-ring. Such a potential can momentarily polarize 1-10-micron ice particles in a radial sense, and thus create the spectacular spokes. A resulting current flowing radially through the B-ring would give rise to a power of approximately 10 million W, which is close to that dissipated in a Saturn electrostatic discharger burst.

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