Mathematics – Logic
Scientific paper
Jul 2001
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2001hst..prop.9112c&link_type=abstract
HST Proposal ID #9112
Mathematics
Logic
Hst Proposal Id #9112 Solar System
Scientific paper
Saturn's rings have been a playground for dynamicists during the two decades since Voyager, and a variety of fascinating processes and structures have been identified and studied. One surprise has been that the ring system seems to be evolving dynamically and compositionally on geologically short timescales, and might be much younger than the solar system. However, there has been very little progress in understanding the composition of the rings during this time. While water ice is known to be the dominant constituent, the reddish color of the rings requires there to be other material there. Furthermore, studies of Voyager and HST-WFPC2 color images indicate that the ring color {and presumably therefore composition} varies dramatically from region to region, and has complex correlations with ring structure. Unfortunately, these multicolor observations are incapable of identifying specific constituents spectrally. The only existing moderate spectral resolution observations, on the other hand, have been ring-averages and smear all the diverse spectral contributions together. With STIS, we propose to separate out the known spatial-spectral variability with sufficient spectral resolution to make identifications of specific constituents. This will allow us to truly study the processes responsible for compositional evolution. It will also provide an excellent preparation and foundation for planning Cassini observations of the rings.
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