The Rotational Modulation of the Electron Density in Saturn's Plasma Disk

Details The Rotational Modulation of the Electron Density in Saturn's Plasma Disk The Rotational Modulation of the Electron Density in Saturn's Plasma Disk

Dec 2006

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006agufmsm22b..04g&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2006, abstract #SM22B-04

Other

5719 Interactions With Particles And Fields, 5734 Magnetic Fields And Magnetism, 5780 Tori And Exospheres

Scientific paper

Nineteen orbits of electron density measurements have now been analyzed in the inner region of Saturn's magnetosphere from the upper hybrid resonance emissions detected by the Cassini Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) instrument. These measurements, which cover a radial distance range from about 3 to 10 R{S}, show a systematic radial and latitudinal dependence that is consistent with a centrifugal potential model for the confinement and radial outflow of ions from a source in the inner region of Saturn's magnetosphere. Using data starting on June 30, 2004, and extending to October 30, 2005, and restricted to within Δz = ±0.1 R{S} of the equatorial plane, we have found that the density is strongly modulated by the rotation of Saturn. The amplitude of the density modulation is about a factor of two and is most pronounced at radial distances from about 3 to 5 R{S}, with the minimum at a longitude about 100{°}, and the maximum at about 300{°} using the Saturn longitude system introduced by Kurth et al. [2006]. This longitude system is based on the rotational modulation of Saturn Kilometric Radiation (SKR) from January 1, 2004, through February 2006, and is given by λ Sun = ω 0T + C0 - φ(T), where T is the light-corrected time from Saturn in days referenced to January 1, 2004, and φ(T) = C1 + C2T + C3T2 + C4T3 is a phase correction that has been determined by a best fit to the SKR modulation. The constants are ω 0 = 360{°}/P0, P0 = 0.44970 days, C0 = 100{°}, C1 = 100.2°}, C2 = -2.6723{°}d-1, C3 = 3.3462 x 10-3 °}d-2, and C4 = -9.529 × 10-7 °d-3. The discovery of a very substantial rotational modulation of the plasma density in the inner region of Saturn's plasma disk shows that the rotational modulation of SKR and other magnetospheric phenomena have their origin deep in the magnetosphere of Saturn, most likely associated with some asymmetrical aspect of Saturn's magnetic field. A similar analysis of the magnetic field measured by the Cassini magnetometer is being carried out to see if there is a corresponding rotational modulation in Saturn's magnetic field.

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