Optical reflectance polarimetry of Saturn's globe and rings. II - Interpretations for the B ring

Details Optical reflectance polarimetry of Saturn's globe and rings. II - Interpretations for the B ring Optical reflectance polarimetry of Saturn's globe and rings. II - Interpretations for the B ring

Nov 1979

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1979icar...40..171d&link_type=abstract

Icarus, vol. 40. Nov. 1979, p. 171-179.

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

8

Albedo, Optical Reflection, Polarimetry, Polarized Light, Saturn Rings, Absorption Spectra, Ice, Ultraviolet Astronomy, Ultraviolet Radiation

Scientific paper

The paper describes the properties of probable configurations of the bodies comprising Saturn's ring B. The information includes the following: (1) visible light reflected by the surfaces of the blocks shows a variation of polarization with phase angle characteristic of solid pieces several millimeters across, with a polarimetric albedo in orange light of 0.45; (2) in the uv, the albedo decreases to 0.20, and the polarization is characteristic of smaller grains whose scattering properties dominate those of the larger blocks; and (3) in addition to the directly reflected light, the polarization due to ring B shows a component either normal or parallel to the radius vector, but varying with time. Elongated or striated blocks facing toward the planet, or blocks partly aligned in chains, are possible causes of the observed polarization, and more probably gravitational aggregations of particles along the direction of orbital motion may be involved. However, perturbation by satellites and collisions with external bodies may cause disturbances which disorganize these structures on all parts of the ring and compete with reorganization.

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