Other
Scientific paper
Dec 2008
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008agufm.p32a..04j&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2008, abstract #P32A-04
Other
5465 Rings And Dust, 5737 Magnetospheres (2756), 6015 Dust, 6265 Planetary Rings, 6280 Saturnian Satellites
Scientific paper
During its November 2005 flyby of Saturn's second-largest moon Rhea, the LEMMS portion of Cassini spacecraft's Magnetospheric Imaging Instrument, MIMI, detected an unexpected decrease in the fluxes of high-energy (>20 keV) magnetospheric electrons. This depletion extended to around 8 Rhea radii on either side of the moon. When combined with data from several other Cassini instruments, including those from the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer, CAPS, that also detected the electron depletion, it was proposed that the MIMI data indicated the presence of a disk of electron-absorbing debris orbiting Rhea. A set of brief, deeper electron depletions on either side of the moon may indicate the presence of discrete rings or arcs within the debris disk. We summarize the case for this interpretation, including supporting studies of the orbital stability of such a disk, hybrid simulations of the magnetosphere-Rhea interaction, and the second detection of the electron depletion by MIMI and CAPS during Cassini's more distant Rhea flyby in August 2007. The Cassini Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) has conducted several searches for material in Rhea orbit, at both high and low phases, and has found nothing to date. We discuss the implications of this non- detection. Discrete regions of unusual surface colouring have recently been identified close to Rhea's equator in ISS images; we investigate the potential for a relationship between these features and the proposed debris disk.
Burns Joseph A.
Denk Tilmann
Jones Geraint H.
Kempf Sascha
Krimigis Stamatios M.
No associations
LandOfFree
A debris disk surrounding Saturn's moon Rhea 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 A debris disk surrounding Saturn's moon Rhea, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and A debris disk surrounding Saturn's moon Rhea will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1237432