Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Sep 2009
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009dps....41.6409b&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #41, #64.09
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
We investigate the chemical interaction between Saturn's corotating plasma and Enceladus' volcanic plumes. A 150 kg/s source of neutral H2O molecules is assumed to emanate from Enceladus' south polar region. The evolution of a parcel of ambient plasma passing through the plume is estimated using a physical chemistry model (based on the Io torus chemistry but adapted for water-group reactions). The flow is assumed to be that of a plasma around an electrically conducting obstacle centered on Enceladus and aligned with Saturn's magnetic field, consistent with Cassini magnetometer data. Our results suggest that charge exchange dominates the local chemistry and that H3O+ dominates the water-group composition downstream of the Enceladus plumes. We explore the effects on the physical chemistry of a small population of hot electrons and of locally decelerating the flow in response to mass-loading.
Bagenal Fran
Delamere Peter
Fleshman Bobby
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